Harry Potter and the Incubus Inheritance: the First Downfall
by Lorelai McQueen
Summary: Lily Evans, newly graduated from Hogwarts, is engaged to the Crown Prince to the throne of Wizarding Britain, James Potter. While Lily worries over her duties as the future Princess, the war with Voldemort rages on and affects their lives in ways she couldn't have imagined.
1. Preface

**Harry Potter and the Incubus Inheritance: Harry Potter and the First Downfall**

**Summary:** Lily Evans, newly out of Hogwarts, is engaged to the Crown Prince to the throne of Wizarding Britain, James Potter. While Lily worries over her duties as the future Princess, the war with Voldemort rages on and affects the lives of them all in ways she couldn't have imagined.

**A/N:** This is the first installment in the 'Incubus Inheritance' series, and is titled Harry Potter and the First Downfall. Right now, I have planned for four installments though I think there might be a fifth. This story has been floating around in my head for years though I think I've just learned how to write it out. I've tried several times and failed. I hope this reads pleasant enough.

This is also the **PREFACE**, and I hope you do read this even it is extremely long since there are **A LOT** of changes made from the original canon and would confuse you not to read through some of the changes I've planned.

I will wait an hour to post the first chapter of Harry Potter and the First Downfall to give you time to read the Preface.

Thank you.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything Harry Potter-related and mean no copyright infringement. I am merely borrowing JKR's characters and world for a bit of harmless play. I make no profit from it.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Preface<strong>

So, there quite a lot of changes in this story, as is common in an AU interpretation. As a result, I'd like to warn you of the things that this story – and the series altogether – will and will not contain. Like me, I figured some of you would object vehemently when it comes to certain deviations and would like a warning ahead of reading so they wouldn't invest wastefully.

**The story will/will not have these things/changes:**

- **Lily died** that night protecting Harry. However, **James survived**. He will however be changed for the worse due to Voldemort's attack. He won't be Dark or hate his own son, but he will never get over the loss of Lily and the attack, mentally and physically.

- James' father Charlus Potter (though it was disputed that this was his father's name in canon, I am using it here) and Lily's parents (whom I have given names, backstories and expanded upon their non-existent characters in canon) are all also still alive past Halloween 1981.

- Sirius wasn't thrown into Azkaban for 12 wrongful years due to James' survival.

- Through canon, we've learned that the Potters were related, whether directly or distantly, to a lot of families like the Blacks, the Prewetts, the Weasleys and even the less honourable families like Flint and Malfoy. There will be **A LOT** of inter-family interactions. However, Walburga Black won't be portrayed as a saint (she was a cranky pureblood fanatic), Snape won't be handing out sweets and being pleasantly surprised by Harry's Lily-like qualities, Lucius Malfoy won't be a deep-down nice bloke and Bellatrix Lestrange won't be bailed out of Azkaban by James after going through a guilt-ridden breakdown (and she most definitely **WON'T** be the second Mrs. James Potter, or Harry's future wife). I will stay as true to character as an AU story can get, considering the changes I'd be giving Harry, Ron and Hermione (to make them a bigger, stronger opponent to Voldemort and his followers; this is, of course, part of the AU).

- This is an important change: **LILY IS MADE INTO A PUREBLOOD FOR THIS SERIES**. This is due to several reasons which will be stated in the next few following points.

- About the Incubus: in this series, which I will call the Incubus series, Harry has an Evans ancestor who was an incubus. I know that in canon-HP, JKR didn't add in anything regarding incubi. Presumably, that is because there were already Veelas. In 'Incubus Inheritance', the Incubus is a little like Veela. They're supernaturally beautiful and they do enchant just by their looks. But they **DON'T** have bird beaks when they get angry or have the ability to create fireballs with their hands. They **DO** have human forms, they aren't evil and they are sexually insatiable. Basically, once an incubus mates with a human, their children are half-human, half-incubus. They inherit the incubus' powers and traits, just like half-Veelas do. As the generations go by, as long as the descendants don't marry outside their species (muggles, or wizards, etc.), the line will be pure again. The Evans are wizardkind and the half-incubus ancestor Harry had married a pureblood witch. After several generations of marrying wizards and witches, the Evans line became pureblooded again. However, due to their incubus ancestor, the Evans pureblood witches and wizards retained incubus powers and traits. Those include **slower physical aging** (though they **DO** age and **AREN'T** immortal creatures), the **power to lure and enchant others**, a **heightened sexual drive** since puberty and **empathic abilities**.

- This is an important change: the incubus inheritance mentioned in the title is due to an ancestor of Lily's (and the Evans family) who was an incubus (his pureblood father had him with an incubus mother). He passed on the gene to his descendants throughout the ages, though they have now become a fully pureblood line again after centuries of pureblood wizard marriages. The Evans line retained their incubus powers but remained pureblood witches and wizards. Some Evans had **active** incubus genes while some had **inactive **incubus genes. **Lily** had an **inactive** succubus gene. Her sister **Petunia** had **no succubus gene** at all considering she was a **squib**. **Lily's father** – given the name **Arwyn Evans** for this fic – has an **active** gene. **And so will Harry**.

- This will **eventually** be a **Harry/harem** story though it **won't** be that way until Harry is out of Hogwarts (fourth installment of the series). Since this series covers Harry's childhood, his Hogwarts years and the war before getting to post-war life, that will be a while. He'll still have a good, healthy romantic/sex life during his teenage years, though.

- The Harry/harem aspect of the story will derive from **1)** Harry's incubus gene, **2)** pureblood marriage contracts and **3)** the need to bear pureblood heirs to further bloodlines of certain families especially after the 2 devastating wars wiped out much of the wizarding population in the UK. **The 2nd and 3rd reasons are also the reasons why I made Lily a pureblood** - there can't be pureblood marriage contracts if Lily is a muggleborn or even a half-blood. And if Harry's a half-blood as he is in canon, the purebloods won't have a marriage contract with him either if their goal is to have pureblood children/grandchildren. More of Lily's family ancestry will be revealed in time, in the story itself or in an A/N at the bottom of a chapter to reiterate in case some skipped those parts in a chapter or didn't understand it.

- In Harry's harem, only Harry will be having sex with his harem. The harem are made up of his wives and mistresses, all of whom live in the same house/on the same land and know and aren't bothered by each other (due to how they were raised; in the Incubus series, it isn't uncommon for rich, especially titled, pureblood wizards to have multiple wives/mistresses and this has been the norm for thousands of years; they aren't bothered or overcome with jealousy because this is the norm for them and they've even come to expect it since it would mean they were married to a very wealthy man). However, **NONE** of them and certainly not ALL of them will suddenly turn into lesbians and start humping each other. They **WILL** be fully clothed and **WON'T** be parading around buck naked/wearing fetish clothes with butt plugs up their arses. There **might** be the occasional threesomes (still undecided on that) but the women won't be going at each other either. It isn't even lawful for his wives to take on another man other than Harry – and why would they when he has the stamina and skills of an incubus?

- I'm very pro-feminist (since I'm one myself) so this story, which has quite a few male-dominated ideals (especially in terms of marriages and mistresses), is a bit of a struggle for me. However, the women will be strong, independent and brilliant all without the help of men (take Hermione, Amelia Bones, the Quidditch girls, etc.) Harry's wives won't be simpering fools, just sitting around all day, waiting for him to get home and pay them a bit of attention. They will have their own careers, their own lives, their own goals. They're strong women in their own rights, married to a wealthy, titled man, who live their own lives and make their own names.

- Harry is bisexual in this story and will have some gay experiences. He won't be shagging each and every attractive male in the series but there will be some familiar men whom he'll be involved with. This **DOESN'T** involve anyone in his family, Sirius, Remus, Ron, Draco or (God forbid) Snape. There will also **NOT** be a Harry/Dumbledore, Harry/Voldemort, Harry/Tom Riddle, Harry/Grindelwald or Harry/Death Eater pairing in here. I have nothing against a Harry/Draco pairing – though it has to be tastefully done and Draco still has to have his biting, sneering attitude even while they're flirting/together – but there will sadly be too much damage done to each other by one another in this series for them to get together. Maybe in another story where I've mastered the Harry/Draco dynamic.

- There also **WON'T** be any Harry/Hermione at **ANY POINT** in this series, not even one single romantic kiss or a crush of any kind on either of their parts. There won't even be an implied thought for either Harry or Hermione regarding this matter. I can't swear that other characters won't ask or think or write about it. I've always believed that, in the books, Harry and Hermione had a good sibling type of relationship. But Daniel Radcliffe is handsome and Emma Watson is drop dead gorgeous and, as they grew older, fans who took the movies as superior to the novels kind of shipped Dan/Emma and turned it into Harry/Hermione. The directors used that, and their on-screen chemistry, and gave them certain moments in the films that could be construed as either platonic affection or romantic, and took it up several hundred notches for the DH movies when they made Dan and Emma appear as though they were naked in the horcrux scene, and gave them the odd dance scene when Ron was gone. I'm sure that pleased their shippers but I'm staying true to be books (Ron and Hermione belong together, as is clearly hinted as early as book 3. Hell, I remember reading book 2 and thinking of them as an old married couple despite being pre-teens) and I feel personally that any Harry/Hermione romance will be too incestuous for me. I can't even _read_ it let alone write it. Sorry, fans. **EDIT**: JKR has recently stated that she felt H/HR should have been endgame. Thanks for caving under fan pressure, JK.

- There also won't be any Harry/Tonks (for one reason only – Teddy. This is why she belongs solely with Remus, who deserves the love of a good woman and the satisfaction of parenthood, no matter how brief it lasted). Trust me, while there is only a handful of harem stories (that I've found), almost every one of them has Harry/Hermione or Harry/Tonks or Harry/Hermione AND Harry/Tonks together. If it doesn't please you to read a harem story where Harry doesn't have any kind of romantic or sexual relationship with either of them, then you could read one of those other fan-fictions.

- There also won't be any kind of Harry/Bellatrix. The only feeling Harry will ever have for her is intense hatred. She will not be some sort of victim. She isn't under a dark spell cast by her wayward husband and his brother, or by Voldemort. She doesn't have a conscience and will not be sobbing uncontrollably after Voldemort's gone, overcome with guilt and remorse. She is, as in canon, an insane, bloodthirsty pureblood fanatic who is, undoubtedly, in love with Voldemort and the dark arts. **Guilty Writer's Confession:** I sort of love writing Bellatrix's dark deranged actions. This concerns me greatly. I'll try and limit the violent details.

- There will also be **NO** Harry/Narcissa or any other Harry/Death Eater or Harry/Death Eater's spouse/child, either.

- This **WILL NOT** be a dark-Harry story. Harry was traumatized by his parents' murder in canon, and he felt intense hatred for Voldemort, his Death Eaters, his pureblood ideals and those who supported them. He wanted to avenge his parents' deaths and stop Voldemort. Even if a fan story played out with an over-the-top manipulative Dumbledore, a disloyal Ron and Hermione and everyone on the side of Light turning their backs on Harry, there isn't a chance in hell he'd turn to Voldemort and say 'sure, let's fuck and rule the world together'. I don't even think that he would have struck a truce with Voldemort so that neither of them would bother the other. Voldemort killed his parents and ruined his life. His parents fought the Dark Arts with everything that they had. Harry would never forgive or forget that. I believe that no matter how AU things get, Harry's need for revenge and justice against Voldemort is the one thing that can't change.

- There will also NOT be any Harry/McGonagall in this series. The reason for this: IT'S GROSS! McGonagall was in her late 50s when Harry started Hogwarts. And, frankly, I can't imagine a better McGonagall than Dame Maggie Smith or a better Harry than Dan Radcliffe. Imagining those two together just can't happen for me. I've always thought of McGonagall as the stern but 'secretly' fond of Harry mother hen of Gryffindor tower. I adore anything that has a more fleshed out scene between them, sad or happy or revealing. Remember that scene in the HBP movie, when McGonagall told Harry that he meant a great deal to Dumbledore? I cried. It was one line, but her expression, his look back at Dumbledore's portrait...Sometimes, the movies are golden.

- Some deaths of certain canon characters will be different, such as James and Charlus Potter. Some of the characters that were deceased by the time Harry started Hogwarts in canon will still be alive at that point in this series (e.g. Walburga Black). This **DOESN'T** mean, however, that this is a fluffy AU in which nobody dies. I've planned plenty of deaths, of much hated and of much beloved characters. Some of these deaths are quite horribly and graphically violent. I've been preparing for the hate reviews.

- **NOBILITY**: The Potters' wealth and power is exaggerated in fan fiction so much that it's become the norm for them to be a Noble and Most Ancient House, with Lord Potters as the Head of the House. I'm following this 'fan-fiction canon', though there are differences. The Potters own a large plot of land in the UK. The Head of House Potter is Charlus Potter. More to be explained later on below. They are also the richest wizarding family in the UK (ranking above Lucius Malfoy who Forbes has listed with a net worth of 1.3 billion) and one of the richest wizarding families in the world.

- According to the Pure-Blood Directory (thought to have been written by Cantankerus Nott) listed the 'Sacred Twenty-Eight', which were the 28 British families that were still truly pureblood by the 1930s (taken from the Harry Potter Wikia). The Potters weren't there (though they should have been since James was a pureblood and when Dorea Black married Charlus Potter, she wasn't disowned by her fanatic family so he must have been pureblood too). **For the Incubus series, I'm adding two names to the list: Potter and Evans**. In this series, they are called the 'Sacred Thirty'. There are other pureblood families, of course, but they're not included due to beliefs that there might be muggle relations/ancestry in the family, even if it was thousands of years ago. In canon, however, the families are:

Abbott

Avery

Black

Bulstrode

Burke

Carrow

Crouch

Fawley

Flint

Gaunt

Greengrass

Lestrange

Longbottom

Macmillan

Malfoy

Nott

Ollivander

Parkinson

Prewett

Rosier

Rowle

Selwyn

Shacklebolt

Shafiq

Slughorn

Travers

Weasley

Yaxley

- I am not British but I will do my best to write as authentically British as possible, down to the spelling, lingo and everything else. More than that, as the Potters are nobility in a world that is very traditional, there will be aristocratic ways of life, slightly old-fashioned language, customs that aren't of the norm in today's modern, British household (I'm on a Downton Abbey kick). It pisses me off to read fan-fiction based on a story that is so inherently, authentically British and find it so very Americanized. I'm not saying you have to do hours of research on how to speak/write British slang because there's no way to get it right unless you are British or if you live there, even if you do watch Sherlock, Skins, Inbetweeners, Dr. Who and all the other completely awesome Brit telly on a loop. But you can do the common courtesy of using Brit spelling that you know of – 'mum' instead of 'mom', 'telly' instead of 'TV', 'shop' instead of 'store', 'sweets' instead of 'candy' and 'colour' instead of 'color' (like many other words which are spelled with an 'o-u' in British English and just an 'o' in American English; this is perhaps the easiest change to make since you could just change the language of your word document to 'English UK'). Most of the time, on the very first chapter, when I see 'mom', I stop reading the story, regardless of how many reviews the story has. I also check out when I see the words 'lemon drop' instead of 'sherbet lemon'. It's not too hard to remember 'mum', 'sweets' and 'sherbet lemon', even if you can't change anything else from American to British.

- There will be **NO** bashing of any of the characters JK Rowling had written for us to _like_ and enjoy.

- **NO** Ron bashing (he's the sidekick best friend to a bloke who has fame, recognition everywhere he goes and more money than Ron's ever dreamed of; it wouldn't be human or realistic if Ron didn't get irrationally jealous coming from a poor family with five accomplished older brothers and a really doted-on younger sister (who is the first Weasley to be born in generations) sometimes, especially when he's just a child. It would grow in intensity when he's a teenager, as well, and it did. But he's always been a loyal friend, ready to go through the worse and fight dark wizards side by side with Harry. Seriously, which one of us hadn't been in an ugly fight with our best friends and then made up when you realized you've been a total clot pole? And with Ron growing up to be Harry's lifelong best friend, I'd think those days of jealousy would be over when he's an adult (in canon future). Frankly, Ron-haters always liked to focus on Ron's laziness (because all of us are such goal-oriented people at 11), his lack of special skills (like Harry's abilities in battle and Hermione's smartness) and his two most flawed moments (when he got very jealous of Harry during the Triwizard Tournament and when he fought with Harry under the influence of intense Splinching pain and evil Horcrux). They don't remember the wonderful moments like when 11 year old Ron went through the trapdoor with his two best friends not because he had to but because he wanted to protect them and help them. Or when he willingly went down to the Chamber to save his sister and Hermione. Or when he tried to warn Harry and Hermione in the Shrieking Shack, and tried to protect Harry by saying Sirius would have to kill him to get to Harry. Or when he was the one Harry would miss the most in the 2nd Task. Or when he defended Harry against Seamus and everyone else who was stupid enough to believe the Prophet, and was worried about his best friend throughout the entire Umbridge ordeal. Or when he followed Harry willingly to the Department of Mysteries to fight off Death Eaters and save Sirius. Or when he didn't question going off on the horcrux hunt with Harry even for a second, and when the effects of the horcrux wore off and he realized the mistake he'd made, he tried immediately to go back and spent all his time trying to find a way to get back to Harry and Hermione while dodging Snatchers and evading angry family members. The films put more emphasis on Harry and Hermione, even giving some of Ron's lines and actions to her (like the moment at the Shrieking Shack). There was a great deleted scene from the OOTP movie that was edited out – Ron tried to cheer up Harry after Sirius' death – that I think they should've kept in. Most people, I think, tend to follow the movies rather than the books and therefore forgot that Ron is an incredibly special person who was loyal to his best friend despite his jealousy and who always did the right thing even when he was terrified, not because he was destined to do it like Harry but because he was a true Gryffindor. I think if Ron were to ever be an animagus, his form would be that of a majestic lion.

- **NO** Hermione bashing (she's bossy but she's always been a good friend to Harry and Ron, even during their stupid boy moments; I don't know where people get the idea of 'Hermione using Harry so he would give her money and access to rare books' but I suppose that's a ludicrous idea fan fiction writers use when they just can't stand Hermione's overdone bossiness written in other fan fictions and they want to get rid of her).

- **NO** Ginny bashing (she dated Michael Corner for over a year and Dean for six months or so…That doesn't make her a harlot; in fact, other girls her age date a lot more than she did and are a lot flightier when it comes to their dates/boyfriends. True, she dated them in an attempt to let go of Harry but that doesn't make her evil either. I think she truly felt affection towards Michael and Dean and it isn't her fault her love for Harry is too strong for her to move on from. And I really don't believe she looks like Lily Evans' twin sister just because she had red hair and pale skin. Lots of people have red hair; that doesn't mean they all look identical. This was never said in canon, only in fan-fiction stories by Ginny-haters) (Another thing that I hate is when Harry/Ginny lovers decide that just because the two are together/will get together, Ginny will be privy to every part of his life. Harry's an extremely private person in canon. He didn't even let his best friends know about certain things for a long time – prophecy, Umbridge's punishments, etc. Ginny is not the fourth member of their threesome. Harry didn't share much about his private "hero" life with her even after they started dating. I think, even long after they're married, it stays that way with Harry, Ron and Hermione saving the world (in a different way, with their jobs as adults) and Ginny, the woman who loves Harry and supports him even when she doesn't know the whole story until later. I read H/G stories where Harry calls meetings with Ron, Hermione and Ginny and they go on adventures together…Sometimes Ron is even left out on these adventures. Ginny would act all entitled to knowing every single aspect of Harry's life, especially his top-secret Voldemort missions, and when she doesn't get to know or come along on these missions, she stomps her foot, pouts, tells him how selfish he's being and looks ready to cry. Harry apologizes, says of course she's right and caves. It just turns me off. On a side note, there is this great story by blue _dot_ skies _dot_ 2010 called 'The Way You Love Them' that just captures the dynamics between Harry/Ron/Hermione and Ginny's place with Harry/the trio perfectly).

- **NO** Sirius bashing (I don't even know what to say).

- **NO** James and Lily bashing (I've read some stories where James and Lily are alive or returned from the dead or were present in the story due to a time-travelling mishap and they're treated like jealous, immature idiots by Harry and everyone else. They might as well have been lepers the way everyone treated them. Then, of course, in the next chapter, we'll have a very intelligent, very witty Snape billowing into the room with regal black robes, a handsome smirk and a newfound close friendship with Harry. Umm...No. Just no. I realize that Snape fought on Dumbledore's side and, without him, Voldemort wouldn't have fallen like he did in canon. He did a lot of things to help Harry without him ever realizing it. But he was also a douche bag. James grew up in the short 21 years of his life. He went from overbearing bully who played nasty pranks on people to a man worthy of Lily's love, who fought tirelessly against the Dark, who protected his wife and child because he loved them endlessly and who sacrificed himself to protect Lily and Harry. He was 21. Snape, who lived to be in his 30s, couldn't let go of a childhood feud which he more than deserved on occasion. He wasn't entirely innocent in his feud with the Marauders. And as for taking it out on Lily...Well, that's just ridiculous. JKR had said that if Snape were to go back in time, he'd choose Lily over the Dark Arts. But would Lily have chosen him over James? Snape was her best friend until he betrayed her but James was who she was in love with. There was no mention, not a single hint, that Lily loved Snape romantically. You can't force someone to love you and then hate them when it doesn't work. So while James and Lily won't be written as saints with halos above their heads, they also won't be written as monsters who wronged Snape and Harry).

- **NO** Molly bashing (she's overbearing but she loved Harry and she only wants to protect him, feed him and give him a good home when she couldn't do anything about the home he already had). I've read several "dissertations" by people on why they hate Molly Weasley so much and they admitted that they were estranged from their mothers/parents or that they didn't have good/warm relationships with them. I think that says enough. Family is everything to Molly. She lives and breathes to love them and protect them and care for them - overbearingly so. Harry is a doomed character, with a large red target painted on his back. That Molly would willingly accept him and bring him into her home, thus putting her life and the lives of her husband and children in danger, despite this just proves how much she loves him.

- **NO** Fred & George bashing (they're after Harry for his money? Really? Who are you going to criticize next, Dobby? Hedwig? Please).

- **NO** McGonagall bashing (I don't get it. If you hate EVERY beloved character in the series, why don't you just stop reading Harry Potter and move on? It's baffling me, really it is).

- **NO** Dumbledore bashing (which is the most important 'no bashing' point for me to make asides from Ron and Hermione). He's a great wizard and decent human being; key word being 'human'. He's had a bad past, made a lot of mistakes, can be quite a manipulative bastard and even have had a few bad judgments but he loved Harry and he did his best to protect him from dark wizards. He couldn't protect Harry from his relatives but in canon, Harry wasn't abused, just neglected and I think Dumbledore knew that Harry was safer and better off neglected than tortured and killed. In war, a lot of horrible things happen – good men die, soldiers fight to the death to protect the innocent and those leading the charge will have to make the call that will sometimes end the lives of the men and women depending on them. It's awful and heart-breaking and wrong but that is war. Not everyone can see the light at the end of the tunnel, the bigger picture, and thus not everyone can lead the charge. People hate Dumbledore because not only is he human and made human mistakes, he was also the leader who had to make a very horrifying decision – sacrifice Harry to save the world. One soul for several million. People tend to twist things around, making him into this secretly evil wizard who plots to take over the world by manipulating Harry into doing his dirty work for him. In the same story, they'll also add that Voldemort is actually a good wizard – he, of course, kills and tortures innocent people because he's innately angelic and this is simply something good, decent people do – and Snape likes to snuggle and call people 'sweetie pie' while giving out sweets and cooking Harry loads of good food. Please. I will not maim and destroy JK's Dumbledore by making him into something he's not, exaggerating his faults and turning them into deliberate evil. The truth is, Dumbledore had already been through a war before Voldemort – Grindelwald – and so he already knew the kinds of horrors all of them would see and endure. He also knew that it would take a lot of pain to end it. Dumbledore didn't train Harry into a secret ninja killing machine because he wanted Harry to have some years of relative peace. He didn't tell Harry everything at the end of the first book because Harry was an eleven year old child. Despite what he'd already done by then, he would've been traumatized by what Dumbledore did know (the prophecy) and what he didn't yet know (the horcruxes). And when he found out that Harry would have to die to save the world, he tried to distance himself from Harry and failed because he loved him. When Harry found out about being a horcrux himself, he was devastated but he was willing to die rather than let Voldemort continue to live. Dumbledore knew that was what Harry would choose as well, since he's *Harry*. I do believe Dumbledore could've done some things differently, but as I've said, he is a flawed character. Just not evil. There is a difference. For every one good-Dumbledore story, there are a hundred evil-Dumbledore stories (the same goes for Ron). If reading about a good-in-canon Dumbledore/good-in-canon Ron isn't something you're pleased with, there are tons of evil-Dumbledore/evil-Ron stories to choose from elsewhere.

- This is a **VERY PARTIAL**, almost **NON-EXISTENT** crossover with Charmed. The **ONLY** Charmed-related elements here are Harry's powers and the light-show that will occur during his birth. I will post a video link on my profile page to show the birth of Wyatt Halliwell (the character on Charmed whose powers I used for Harry in this series), and another video link to show all of Wyatt's powers, which are also some of Harry's powers in this series. Please watch them as they would give you a visual of what the birth and the powers look like. They're quite short and won't take too much of your time. Harry's powers (taken from Charmed and my imagination) are used almost by will alone and though he'll have to learn when he's older, these are things that come naturally and powerfully to him. There are very few people with that sort of magic in my 'Incubus Inheritance' universe. The people who were born with this magic are said to be born with Old Magic running through their veins and are the only ones who can channel Old Magic (this term was **NOT** taken from Charmed, but rather my imagination).** There are only 4 other people still alive asides from Harry who were born with Old Magic – Nicholas Flamel, Albus Dumbledore, Gellert Grindelwald and Tom Riddle Jr**.

- The trio of friends – Harry, Ron and Hermione – will be best friends for life. They will have fights like all friends but they are bonded for life. I won't turn Ron and/or Hermione against Harry part-way through the series.

- There also won't be any sort of Snape reverence going on. He turned out to be the good guy after 7 years of loathing, of taking out a father's sins on an innocent boy (even his cover of being deep in the Dark Arts and hating 'the Potter brat' in preparation for when Voldemort returned didn't warrant his needlessly childish behaviour towards Harry, especially in that first year when Harry was so clueless as to why Snape hated him so much from the very first day). He was petty in his jealousy of the Marauders (no one stabbed him with a wand and forced him to keep trying to get the Marauders in trouble; everyone always talked about how Sirius was wrong when he tried to 'kill' Snape in fifth year by telling him where to find a transformed Moony, and he was VERY wrong to do that. No one disputes it. Sirius deserved the cold treatment he got from his friends for a while. But Snape went LOOKING because he thought he could get the Marauders into trouble. When we found out about this incident, all I could think was: 'Sirius, how could you!?' and 'Ohh...Snape was the Marauders' Malfoy! I get it now.' And it's true, isn't it? Snape was very Malfoy-like back then. He just had bigger balls to get into the Dark Arts and join Voldemort the way Draco could never truly stomach. And let's not forget - had Voldemort turned to his Death Eaters and said 'The Longbottom boy is the child of prophecy. He must die', Snape wouldn't have given two shits. He would've continued on being one of Voldemort's most trusted follower. The ONLY reason he went snivelling back to Dumbledore was because it was LILY who was about to die. He didn't care about an innocent child, not even one who could possibly save the world by ridding it of Voldemort for good. He cared only about Lily's survival. He begged Voldemort to save only her (and while I knew the chances of him surviving Voldemort had he asked for the whole family's survival were slim, it doesn't make him any less despicable). I feel sorry for him. I really do. He had a horrible father, he was alone his whole life, he was sorted into Slytherin where the only way a half-blood like him could've made it was to fit in with their ideals, he had only one friend and it was doomed from the moment she was sorted into Gryffindor and especially after she and James fell in love and it was heartbreaking to watch that scene when Snape cradled Lily's body and cried. But he's still a despicable man who loved the Dark Arts, who joined Voldemort willingly, who was a Death Eater who did God knows what to God knows who (people sometimes forget, I think, that Death Eaters did more than sit around a throne room with Voldemort and discuss how much they hate mudbloods and blood traitors. They killed and savaged and tortured, with pleasure. Snape would have done the same or he'd never have been Marked or been a high-ranking Death Eater), and who only defected because of unrequited love. He wasn't a saviour. He wasn't a good man. He would have happily stood by and watched Neville die as a baby (which is really sick considering the fact that he usually goes out of his way to ensure Neville is as miserable as possible). His only redeeming quality was his love for Lily and even that wasn't enough to turn him into a decent human being. Lily deserved James, who grew up into a man worthy of Lily's love and a father who died to protect his wife and child, all in the short 21 years of life that he had. Snape's remorse for her death doesn't mean jack, in my honest opinion. So no, I won't turn him into a lovable, cuddly character who hugs Harry, breaks down in front of him, tells him heartwarming stories of Lily and share sweets with him. He'll be cold and harsh and hateful as in canon, but he would still be the silent antihero who helped Harry and deserved at least the recognition for that in the end. And just so we're clear, Lily will not be appearing to Harry in some dream-like state or in the afterlife and saying that she wished she'd chosen to marry Snape instead. Sorry, Snape-lovers. I'm staying true to canon. Snape might've chosen Lily over the Dark Arts had he been given a second chance to do things over, but there was never any indication that Lily would have chosen him over James.

- Here is a list of Harry's powers derived from Old Magic (or, specifically, from the Charmed universe) (I will also list the links to Super-Power Wikia/Charmed Wikia on my profile page so you can see the extent of each ability and what they look like):

**Force-field** – (most important) the ability to create a protective, translucent blue spherical force-field that renders himself or the ones he wishes to protect from harm (a power Wyatt has on the show).

**Projection** – the rare ability to project desires into reality. E.g. conjuring a dragon out of a book, bringing toys to life, creating a perfect flower from imagination (a power both Wyatt and Billie had on the show).

**Orbing** – the ability to magically transport oneself from one place to another; the user will be engulfed in magical blue and white orbs of light (hence the name) and the orbs will clearly be shown going upwards or downwards depending on the destination. Orbing, for this series, is just another type of magical transportation (like apparating) but only those with Old Magic can do it. For those who are good wizards, like Flamel, Dumbledore and Harry, the orbs of light are blue and white. For dark wizards like Voldemort and Grindelwald, the orbs are black and dark blue.

**Telekinetic powers** – the ability to move things with one's mind (a power Prue had on the show); Harry also possesses the power of telekinetic orbing by tapping into his orbing powers to move things without touching them (the object he focuses on will disappear in a swarm of blue and white lights and reappear where he wants it to in the same manner) (a power Paige had on the show).

**Elemental powers** – I took that scene from OOTP where Voldemort and Dumbledore duelled in the DOM and kicked it up a notch. **Voldemort** possesses the elemental power of **Pyrokinesis** (the ability to conjure and control the element of fire). **Dumbledore** possesses the elemental power of **Hydrokinesis** (the ability to conjure and control the element of water). **Flamel** has the elemental power of **Cryokinesis** (the ability to generate and control ice and cold; he can even freeze people and render them unable to use their magic). **Harry** possesses the elemental ability of **Geokinesis** (the ability to control and manipulate all forms of earth, including sand, rocks and minerals; he can create earthquakes and fissures to swallow enemies and levitate himself by ripping the ground under his feet and levitating that piece of earth).

**Transmutation** – the ability to turn one form of matter into another (e.g. he could turn limestone ground into sharp fifty foot high steel spikes).

**Empathy** – the rare ability to sense and manipulate emotions (Phoebe's power on the show) (I would also like to add that Harry has this power in the Incubus series due to his active incubus gene; Lily never had this since her incubus/succubus gene was inactive).

**Healing and Self-Healing** – the ability to heal injuries or diseases of others and yourself, though not if the person is evil or is already dead. He can also only heal physical injuries, not mental or psychological ones. (A power Leo, Paige, Wyatt and Chris had on the show; Piper had self-healing abilities when she was pregnant with Wyatt).

**Beast Master** – this is a power **NOT** taken from Charmed; it is the ability to talk to and understand all beasts, magical or muggle. I love animals and I wanted Harry to have this ability and the same love for animals/beasts.

**Parseltongue** – (taken, of course, from Harry Potter); I love Harry with Parseltongue so I might just keep this ability around even after Voldemort's long gone (probably courtesy of his Beast Master ability).

- In canon Voldemort chose Harry over Neville on Halloween night of 1981 because Harry was a half-blood just like Voldemort. Because both Harry and Neville are both purebloods in 'Incubus Inheritance', I've created a new reason for why Voldemort chose Harry over Neville. In this series, there is a second prophecy, made hundreds of years ago by a wise apothecary. Voldemort unearthed a "quatrain from the tomb of the wise apothecary" in his early years of building his powers post-Hogwarts. It stated that 'When three planets burn as one over a sky of dancing light, and magic will rest upon a holy day to welcome a twice blessed child.' (**Prophecy taken verbatim from Charmed as Wyatt Halliwell's prophecy, including the parts about the quatrain from the tomb of a wise apothecary; everything else is made up by me**). The prophecy described the birth of a child holding great magical power and wisdom. If nurtured properly, the child would become the saviour of the world. If he fails under the influence of evil, he will become the world's destroyer. Voldemort knew that this would mean either his greatest accomplishment or his greatest downfall. He didn't know who this child was or when he'll find this child. When he heard about Harry's unusual birth and his strange powers, he knew immediately the ancient prophecy was talking about Harry. At first, he wanted to steal this unknown baby and turn it into his heir. When he heard Trelawney's prophecy, he knew this child would destroy him so his goal changed to killing the baby, revealed to be Harry in time.

- Harry **WON'T** be excluded from the happenings when the war starts up. In canon, Dumbledore wanted Harry to have a normal a life as possible when he was younger and when the war started up, it was too late to train him since Dumbledore knew Harry would have to die for good to triumph. In the 'Incubus Inheritance' series, Harry has a different upbringing, a strict grandfather and more powerful set of skills than he did in canon. Because he was raised as a warrior in the wizarding world, Harry will know everything from the start (excluding the bit about horcruxes of course since no one knew until Dumbledore began suspecting at the end of Harry's second year).

- There will be **OC characters** – both males and females, some of bigger parts than others but still **all** as **background characters** – but **NONE** of them are Mary Sues or Gary Stews. There will **NOT** be a Golden Quartet or anything else. The OCs **WON'T** fight side by side with the trio and go through all their adventures with them. They **WON'T** have some amazing, unbelievable power that will save the entire world. They **WON'T** be perfect in every way (hair swaying in the breeze, shining in the afternoon sun, hips captivating as they moved gracefully, features even more perfect than Veelas, voice so musical, face so lovely, every head turning to watch in awe as they move…). They **WILL** be **background characters ONLY**, whether they have more than two lines or not, and they **WILL** be as real as possible in a world full of magic. Most minor characters, however, are canon characters who don't get much or any 'screen time' in the books or movies – people like Emmaline Vance, Fay Dunbar, Eloise Midgen, etc. Most "OC" characters would be semi-canon characters like James and Lily's parents, etc. - they existed in canon but were either rarely or never mentioned.

- Some of the eventual and permanent pairings: James/Lily, Remus/Tonks, Sirius/Emmaline, Ron/Hermione, Harry/Ginny, Harry/multiple girlfriends/wives/mistresses/male characters, George/Angelina, Bill/Fleur, Teddy/Victoire. They're all mostly canon pairings (except for Sirius/Emmaline and Harry/multiple) but I'll have to warn you – Ron, Hermione and Harry will date others before getting together with their significant others. All I can say is that Ron and Hermione **MIGHT** get together the same way and time as in canon (or earlier, I haven't decided yet) but Harry and Ginny will **NOT** be getting together during their school years. In fact, it would be a **long** way after their canon-kiss before they even share their first kiss in 'Incubus Inheritance'. I'm sorry Ginny-lovers (I'm a canon-pairing fan myself) and to Ginny-haters, it's an inevitable pairing and I'm not going to change my mind so don't moan when it happens. However, a little consolation prize, **Ginny isn't Harry's first wife and therefore isn't the 'Lady of the House'**, so to speak.

- There will also, as I've stated before, be Harry/male character but he won't marry any of them (it **is** lawful for two men, or two women, to marry but Harry will have enough on his plate with his multiple marriages as it is; I can't say that I won't change my mind though because there is ONE Harry/male character pairing that I've loved for 'Incubus'. Bear in mind that male/male and female/female **are** perfectly able to carry on an extramarital affair without consequences or judgment - just not male/female for the woman, especially if the woman is of a high ranking family or is married to nobility. This is part of the anti-feminist ideology that I mentioned. It's not fair that a husband could carry on with anyone he wants but a noble wife has to hide her affair if it's with a man and not a woman. It bugs me. A strange thing to be upset about since I'm the one who made up the damn rules but I'm still irritated by it).

- Most of Harry's wives/mistresses are canon characters, even if one or two are not so well known. The same goes for Harry's mistresses, even though most of them were simply known by name and not at all given any real parts in the original series. I can think of maybe one or two who are not canon (I'm not too sure at all if I want to add them, to be honest, and might just leave them out of the story altogether) and since Harry has so many wives and mistresses, they won't be major characters or have big scenes even if they do make the cut. Just, as I've said before for other non-canon characters, background characters.

- Harry will be acting differently than he does in canon. I won't completely change him – he still has his 'saving people thing', he'll still be a good guy, he'll still always get into trouble, 'who comes first, Harry or danger', and he'll always do the right, heroic thing – but he will have some differences in personality. It's only realistic when he grows up with James and Sirius (and even dear ol' Moony) influencing him, with house elves at his beck and call and with all the benefits of being nobility. He won't be Malfoy but he'll still be privileged.

- There are, of course, responsibilities to being the future Head of House Potter that Harry might not like and rebel against but nothing in life can be smooth-sailing all the time.

- There will be some characters who died in canon who won't in this series, and there will be others who survived in canon but don't in this series. Death and birth dates of certain characters might also change but the main players are mostly unchanged.

- With Harry's added powers and their sheer magnificence (as well as Dumbledore's and Voldemort's), there will be a lot of events changed from canon, even and maybe especially in Harry's school years.

- There will be quite a lot of chapters showing Harry growing up. It's not going to be five chapters of it before jumping forward to the future. It won't even be eleven or twenty chapters. With so much power and so much difference from canon, I have a million cool ideas for his childhood and I hope you bear with me through it. It won't be fluffy sweetness throughout as I think, if he grew up in the wizarding world, Harry would get into a ton of magical danger all the time, just like he did in canon from the age of 11 onwards,

- A lot of writers mistake 'pompous and cowardly' for 'powerful and independent'. Their Harry would sigh in a long-suffering manner whenever someone asks him to explain how to produce a patronus (because it's such a burden for someone like him to do that), he'll scowl every time someone smiled at him and shook his hand because he's Harry Potter, he'll tell everyone to bugger off when they ask him to help them because Voldemort and the Death Eaters are turning the sky bloody then goes off on a merry holiday on a nude beach in Greece, unconcerned that there are hundreds of innocents being slain back in Britain, he'll be purposefully rude to McGonagall, Pomfrey, Dumbledore, Molly and every other adult who happens to cross his path and when they, understandably, tell him off, the writers will give Harry a 'cocky' speech that's meant to be witty and clever but falls very flat. It only makes him look and sound spoiled and arrogant. Harry is a **HERO**. It's important to remember this. He might not have the most perfect life. He'll lose a lot of loved ones to evil. He'll get tortured and threatened and will have to face a lot of adversaries and challenges, some more evil than others. But he's a hero. That's what heroes do. Just like in history – none of the heroes in history had it smooth and easy; people challenged their authority, fought against them, turned others against them and then crawled back to them when they were terrified of dying, begging for the heroes to save them. They had to face all of that along with the bloody wars they were in. Then they won, as heroes do. Sometimes they even die to win these wars and save the world. There are 2 Harrys you can write about. There's the Harry that, although he's faced with all these impossibly difficult and painful things in his life, rises up above it, rebels against darkness, fights through evil and saves the world. Then there's the Harry who's arrogant, chooses to turn his back on his nation (who, admittedly, deserve it at times), is rude, doesn't like to fight bad guys and would rather complain, complain, complain rather than help, save and rescue. Which Harry would you rather read about? I'd personally choose the hero. Come on, JKR would not have become a billionaire author if she wrote about a cowardly, pompous bastard who ended up running off and hiding somewhere beautiful and secluded while everything in Britain went to hell.

- Wizarding UK comprises of **wizarding England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Unlike muggle-UK**, wizarding UK **includes all of Ireland**, not just Northern Ireland. There is **no wizarding equivalent of the Republic of ****Irelan****d**. However, **wizarding-UK is referred to** (in the Incubus series) **as** **Albion**, not the United Kingdom. I realize that, in real life, "Albion" is the oldest known name for Great Britain (which doesn't include Northern Ireland) but I'm taking creative license. Besides, **muggle-UK is definitely not referred to as "Albion", whether by wizards or muggles**.

**VERY IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ OR YOU WILL BE VERY CONFUSED:**

**NOBILITY AND WEALTH:** The Potters' wealth and nobility is always exaggerated in fan fiction and I intend to do it here though I have put what I hope is a semi-fresh spin on it.

The Potters live on a large plot of land, an **island archipelago**, in **South-West England** called **Æsctir** (it is pronounced ASH-TIR). It is a politically independent land that the British Wizarding government has no rights in, ruled instead by the King, Charlus Potter. Muggles don't even know it exists due to its wards and unplottable location, making it seem as though there's nothing but ocean where Æsctir is, repelling muggles from ever coming close to the outer wards. They own Æsctir in all its entirety.

Two sides of Æsctir are surrounded by water while the other two are surrounded by land. There are several towns and villages in Æsctir and the capital is the City of Godric, a fortified city where Seacliff Castle (the residence of the King and his family) is located. Though Æsctir is an island archipelago, it is connected to England through a thin strip of land; it was used as a trading route and has since been turned into railroads for a direct train from England to Æsctir.

The island archipelago is made up of 7 main islands – Jamestown, King Arthur's Port, Emerald Bay, Peverell Abbey, Bodega Valley, King Fisher's Lagoon and Drakesworth. The City of Godric (the capital of Æsctir) and Seacliff Castle are located on the island of Peverell Abbey.

The Potters are **royalty** - the only wizarding royal family left in the UK - and they rule over Albion as Kings and Queens. Æsctir is an absolute monarchy - the British MOM has no political power on the island archipelago. Albion, on the other hand, is a constitutional monarchy. The royal family is still the royal family on Albion lands but they have little to no political rights there. The Potters are also of the highest order of nobility - the King holds the rank of **Grand Duke** (which in reality is non-applicable in the UK, but I'm taking creative license **FOR THE WIZARDING WORLD OF ALBION ONLY**). They're the only ones in the UK with that title. The King uses that title only in certain situations and places, but mostly outside of Æsctir and Albion. **They're considered a higher authority than the MOM in old pureblood circles despite the 'modernization' of the British government.**

Just to be clear, the City of Godric (the capital of the island archipelago Æsctir) is also the capital of Albion. It's most commonly referred to as simply "the Capital".

**HOWEVER**...I can't promise that the monarchy in wizarding Albion will stay a constitutional one throughout the entire series. Briefly or permanently, whether it'll happen or not, I can't promise either way. I have certain plans but I'll have to see if any of it goes with the flow of the story and the chapters to come. I don't want to force anything. Bear with me, please.

**History of Æsctir and the Gryffindor/Potter family in 'Incubus Inheritance':**

In 955 (creative license), Godric Gryffindor was born in Godric's Hollow, a moor owned by his family. He was named after the ancestor who had first founded the town in the 400s and named it after himself. He founded Hogwarts in 990 with friends Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. In 982, Merlin was born (canon) and he attended Hogwarts from 993 to 1000, one of the first batches of students to attend the historical school. Although he was in Slytherin House and was the apprentice to Salazar Slytherin himself, he was a proud muggle rights activist. He befriended the other founders, Godric in particular. (Creative license from now on). He left for Camelot soon after his graduation and made history there along with King Arthur, a great muggle king prophesized to be a legend. Godric was a very loyal knight for King Arthur and, due to his loyalty to Arthur and Camelot, Arthur gave Godric the island archipelago of Æsctir, which was an island connected to Albion (and Camelot) through a thin strip of land and is therefore Arthur's conquered territory as well. Arthur gave Godric the control of Seacliff Castle, the City of Godric and all of Æsctir, making him the King of Æsctir circa late 1040s.

After Arthur's death and the razing of Camelot (circa 1050s), Merlin started to travel. Albion fell into chaos after Arthur's death and the fall of Camelot. Godric, who owned Seacliff Castle and the island of Æsctir, decided to protect Æsctir the only way he knew how: he declared Æsctir as its own country separate from Great Britain despite being a part of it geographically (he could do this because he owned the land on which Æsctir was built on), fortified it with strong walls, citadels and wards, and called Merlin back to help him put up the strongest wards to keep out uninvited and harmful guests.

Æsctir became an independent country with towns and villages. The city surrounding Seacliff Castle became known as the City of Godric. Eventually, in 1080s, Godric and his sons retook the monarchy of Albion from Arthur's enemies. Camelot was long gone but the royal title to Albion was still alive. They merged Æsctir and Albion politically once again and Godric became the King of Albion until his death in 1105. His eldest son took over as King then.

Godric's descendants continued to hold the title of Albion Wizarding royalty. They allowed the creation of the Wizards' Council circa 1300s, and the Council served as advisors to the King.

The Gryffindor family became the Potter family circa 1500s when a Gryffindor female, the sole child to the only living Gryffindor descendant at the time, married a noble pureblood male with the last name Potter. Despite the name change, they were well respected and continued to rule as Kings and Queens.

In the mid-1600s, the Wizarding nation of Albion created the Ministry of Magic. This was done with the full permission and support of the ruling Potter regent. Albion became a constitutional monarchy instead of an absolute monarchy. To allow such a change, Godric's descendants once again politically separated Æsctir from Albion, declaring it an independent land. An ancient law was passed that the MOM would have no say in the ruling of Æsctir, which would remain an absolute monarchy.

The traditionalist wizarding nation of Albion held onto certain things such as lordships despite the introduction of the MOM on British soil. As a result of their regency, the Potters were the only ones afforded the title 'Grand duke' on Albion lands, and they had the highest rank in Albion wizarding nobility. They were also the wealthiest, and the only ones allowed to issue any further lordships or knighthoods. The Albion Wizarding Ministry could not touch the noble titles and therefore could not strip or award anyone lordships.

The Ministry of Magic in Albion was founded by 5 Founding Families: the Potters, the Longbottoms, the Bones, the Blacks and the Rowling's (non-canon and named for JKR). Though the Rowling's married into the Evans family eventually (Arwyn Evans' mother, Lily's paternal grandmother, was the last Rowling by name as she married into the pureblood Evans family from Wales), the Potters, Longbottoms, Bones and Blacks survived until today. Since the MOM had been founded, 2 Potters (non-regents) had been Minister of Magic.

The fact that the MOM had no rights on Æsctir land was a sore spot for them. However, it was a magically binding pact made over a thousand years ago that made it impossible for anyone without Gryffindor blood to have any control over Æsctir - or the throne of Albion. It was a deep, Old and Ancient Magic that cannot be broken or wavered, even by those who have Old Magic, since it was cast by Merlin himself.

Æsctir has incredibly powerful wards and a myriad of secret protections, all of which were created and put in place by Merlin and Godric Gryffindor. No one, not even Voldemort, had been able to penetrate their wards and protection. It is said that the archipelago of Æsctir was even more protected than Hogwarts.

Alaric Potter, Charlus' father and James' grandfather, continued to rule over Æsctir as well as Albion until his death in 1945 in a battle against Grindelwald's forces, weeks before Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald. Charlus, the 25 year old Crown Prince and Marquess, took over as the King. It would be 15 years before Charlus and Dorea welcomed their heir apparent, Crown Prince and Duke James Potter.

When Harry was born in 1980, he became Prince and Marquess.

**Just a little side note** - I always thought it was strange that, in canon, British wizarding folk abolished regency, if they ever had it at all (which I'm assuming they did at one point since it's hard to picture something called a Minister in the Medieval era). They're so traditional, to the point of being almost stuck in time, with 'Lords' and 'Noble Houses' and robes. It made sense that they had Kings and Queens at one point.

**Another side note** - I know there is no such thing as a Grand duke in Britain, and no grand duchies. I'm taking creative license and creating just ONE such rank for the Potters.

I reiterate again, **the MOM in Albion has no authority on Æsctir land whatsoever**. **Æsctir is geographically and politically part of Albion (which is the name of wizarding UK in this series) but while Albion is a constitutional monarchy, Æsctir is an absolute monarchy. Albion is the wizarding kingdom that includes England, Wales, Scotland as well as all of Ireland. Æsctir is an island archipelago in South-West England and it is where the Capital of Albion is located. The Gryffindor family, now called the Potter family, has always held onto the throne of Æsctir. Since reclaiming Albion from King Arthur's enemies after the fall of Camelot, they have also always held onto the throne to Albion. There is a law that forbids anyone without Gryffindor blood to claim the throne. The capital of Albion as well as Æsctir is called the City of Godric and is commonly called "the Capital". The royal palace is situated in the City of Godric, and is called "Seacliff Castle", or simply "Seacliff". Charlus Potter, Harry's paternal grandfather, is King. James is Crown Prince. Harry is Prince (or will be once he's born).**

**The Evans' Family Backstory:**

Arwyn Evans, Lily Potter's (nee Evans) father, was born to an ancient and noble pureblood Welsh family dating back to the early 11th century through parents Llewellyn and Bronwyn Evans. Arwyn was born in 1925 and attended Hogwarts from 1936 to 1943. He was betrothed to Aoife O'Neill since a young child. They married in June 1948, just weeks after Aoife graduated Hogwarts. They had two children, both daughters. They were named Petunia (b. 1954) and Lily (b. 1960). Petunia, much to the shame of Arwyn and Aoife's pure-blooded families, was a squib. Arwyn married Julia Longbottom (OC), daughter of Callidora and Harfang Longbottom (canon characters), in 1955, making her his second wife. Though Julia got pregnant a few times, she always miscarried and the couple never had a child. Arwyn married his third wife Cara Vance (OC), a pureblood witch from Salem, Massachusetts, in 1959. The two had a daughter together named Emmaline Vance-Evans (canon character, though I added in the 'Evans' in her name) in 1962. The Evans family had never been royalty in wizarding Wales, but they had been noblemen and loyal knights since the days of King Arthur.

Aoife Evans (nee O'Neill) was born to the ancient and noble pureblood O'Neill family dating back to the mid-8th century through parents Nathan and Siobhan O'Neill. Her family was Irish wizarding royalty. Wizarding Ireland continued to be ruled under separate Irish royalty until the 19th century. The O'Neill kings had ruled wizarding Ireland for five centuries before wizarding Ireland became part of Albion in the 19th century. Once wizarding Ireland became a part of Albion, it became the jurisdiction of the Potters (as a constitutional monarchy). They do have their own MOM, separate from MOM in England, but their King is still Charlus Potter. Siobhan O'Neill came from a very affluent pureblood noble family, descended from a knight who was in an O'Neill king's most trusted circle circa 1600s. Although no longer royalty, the O'Neill family continued to have the utmost pull in Ireland. They have great political influence, fame, wealth and power, the greatest in Ireland, second only to the Potters. Aoife was born in 1930 and attended Hogwarts from 1941 to 1948. The O'Neill family has a standing betrothal contract with the Evans family. It was made in the late 18th century just before Ireland merged with Albion. An Evans male had been a knight to the O'Neill king at the time. He saved the king and was awarded a betrothal to the king's daughter. However, the knight perished in battle before the betrothal could be fulfilled. Since then, there hadn't been an appropriate match as both families had borne children of the same gender at the same time – until Arwyn and Aoife. The betrothal was made in their names when Aoife was born and Arwyn was 5 years old. Both families were relieved that the long-standing betrothal would finally be fulfilled. They wedded in June 1948 just weeks after Aoife graduated from Hogwarts.

- **To sum up the Potters and Evans' backstories:** the Potters ARE British wizarding royalty and nobility of the highest order, the wealthiest wizarding family in the world, and are one of the most politically and magically powerful families. They rule over Albion in a constitutional monarchy and over Æsctir as an absolute monarchy. The eldest Potter male is always the King and the Grand Duke - the only one allowed a Grand duchy in wizarding Britain. They own an island archipelago in South-West England called Æsctir, given to Godric Gryffindor by King Arthur a thousand years ago. Æsctir is independent from the British MOM - they have no say whatsoever since it's all privately owned land. The Evans descended from Irish royalty and Welsh nobility. They're not as wealthy as the Potters, but they are one of the wealthiest pureblood families. The eldest Evans male is a Marquess. The Potters and Evans have seats on the Wizengamot and are politically influential and active in Albion.

**Characters involved and their relationships to Harry:  
><strong>**  
>Harry Potter<strong>: Main protagonist; hero of the story.  
><strong><br>**

_**The Evans family**_:

Arwyn Evans (1925) – Harry's maternal grandfather; Lily's father.

Aoife Evans nee O'Neill (1930) – Harry's maternal grandmother; Lily's mother.

Cara Vance-Evans (1944) – Harry's maternal step-grandmother; Lily's step-mother; Arwyn's second wife.

Emmaline Vance-Evans (1962) – Harry's maternal half-aunt; Lily's half-sister.

Llewellyn Evans (1904) – Harry's maternal great-grandfather; Lily's maternal grandfather.

Bronwyn Evans (1906) – Harry's maternal great-grandmother; Lily's maternal grandmother.

Nathan O'Neill (1901) – Harry's maternal great-grandfather; Lily's paternal grandfather.

Siobhan O'Neill (1901) – Harry's maternal great-grandmother; Lily's paternal grandmother.

_**The Potter family**__**:**_

Alaric Potter (1890 – 1945) – Harry's paternal great-grandfather; Charlus' father; James' grandfather.

Charlus Potter (1920) – Harry's paternal grandfather; James' father. The Grand duke of Æsctir.

Dorea Potter nee Black (1920 - 1977) – Harry's paternal grandmother; James' mother. The Grand duchess of Æsctir.

William Harry Potter (1925) – Harry's paternal great uncle; Charlus' younger brother; James' uncle.

Vivian Potter (1925) – William Potter's wife; Harry's paternal great aunt; Charlus' sister-in-law; James' aunt.

_**The Ross family**__**:**_

Susanna Ross nee Potter (1890) – Harry's 1st cousin thrice removed/Harry's great grandaunt; Alaric's older sister; Charlus' aunt; James' great aunt.

Ewan Ross (1890) – Harry's 1st cousin thrice removed by marriage/Harry's great grand uncle.

Isobel McGonagall nee Ross (1917) – Harry's 1st cousin four times removed.

_**The McGonagall family**__**:**_

Isobel McGonagall nee Ross (1917) – Harry's 1st cousin four times removed.

Robert McGonagall (1917) – Harry's 1st cousin four times removed by marriage.

Minerva McGonagall (1935) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed.

Malcolm McGonagall (1940) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed.

Robert McGonagall Jr. (1943) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed.

Minerva McGonagall (1935) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed.

Elphinstone Urquart (1928) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed by marriage (Minerva's husband).

Malcolm McGonagall (1940) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed.

Maeve McGonagall (1938) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed by marriage (Malcolm's wife).

Niamh Isobel McGonagall (1959) – Harry's 3rd cousin (Malcolm & Maeve's daughter).

Robert McGonagall Jr. (1943) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed.

Mary McGonagall (1943 – 1965) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed by marriage (Robert Jr.'s wife).

M.G. McGonagall (1963) – Harry's 3rd cousin (Robert Jr. & Mary's son).

Robert McGonagall III (1965) – Harry's 3rd cousin (Robert Jr. & Mary's son)

M.G. McGonagall (1963) – Harry's 3rd cousin (Robert Jr. & Mary's son).  
>Maggie McGonagall (1964) – Harry's 3rd cousin by marriage (M.G.'s wife).<p>

Robert McGonagall III (1965) – Harry's 3rd cousin (Robert Jr.'s son).

Trudy McGonagall (1967) – Harry's 3rd cousin by marriage (Robert III's wife).

_**The Dursley family**__**:**_

Vernon Dursley (1953) – Harry's maternal uncle by marriage.

Petunia Dursley nee Evans (1957) – Harry's maternal aunt.

Dudley Dursley (1980) – Harry's cousin.

_**The Black family:**_

Cygnus Black (1829 – 1851) – Harry's paternal great-great-great grandfather; Phineas Nigellus' father. The ancestor of the current generation of Blacks.

Ella Black nee Max (1829 – 1950) – Harry's paternal great-great-great grandmother; Phineas Nigellus' mother. The ancestor of the current generation of Blacks.

Sirius Black I (1845 – 1853) – Harry's paternal great-great grand-uncle; Phineas Nigellus' older brother.

Phineas Nigellus Black (1847 – 1925) – Harry's paternal great-great-grandfather.

Elladora Black (1850 – 1931) – Harry's paternal great-great grand-aunt.

Isla Hitchens nee Black (1849 – 1935) – Harry's paternal great-great grand-aunt.

Phineas Nigellus Black (1847 – 1925) – Harry's paternal great-great grandfather.

Ursula Black nee Flint (1850 – 1889) – Harry's paternal great-great-grandmother; Phineas Nigellus' wife.

Sirius Black II (1877 – 1952) – Harry's 1st cousin thrice removed/Harry's great granduncle; Cygnus II's eldest brother; Dorea Potter's uncle; James Potter's granduncle (Phineas Nigellus & Ursula's son).

Phineas Black II (1878 – 1996) – Harry's 1st cousin thrice removed/Harry's great granduncle; Cygnus II's older brother; Dorea Potter's uncle; James Potter's granduncle (Phineas Nigellus & Ursula's son).

Cygnus Black II (1889 – 1943) – Harry's great grandfather; Dorea Potter's father; James Potter's maternal grandfather (Phineas Nigellus & Ursula's son).

Belvina Black (1886 – 1962) – Harry's 1st cousin thrice removed/Harry's great grandaunt; Cygnus II's younger sister; Dorea Potter's aunt; James Potter's grandaunt (Phineas Nigellus & Ursula's daughter).

Arcturus Black II (1884 – 1959) – Harry's 1st cousin thrice removed/Harry's great granduncle; Cygnus II's younger brother; Dorea Potter's uncle; James Potter's granduncle (Phineas Nigellus & Ursula's son).

Sirius Black II (1877 – 1952) – Harry's 1st cousin thrice removed/Harry's great granduncle; Cygnus II's eldest brother; Dorea Potter's uncle; James Potter's granduncle (Phineas Nigellus & Ursula's son).

Hesper Black nee Gamp (1978 – 1906) – Harry's 1st cousin thrice removed by marriage/Harry's great granduncle; Cygnus II's sister-in-law; Dorea Potter's aunt by marriage; James Potter's grandaunt by marriage (Phineas Nigellus & Ursula's daughter-in-law).

Arcturus Black III (1901 – 1991) – Harry's 2nd cousin twice removed; Dorea Potter's cousin; James Potter's 2nd cousin once removed (Sirius II and Hesper's son).

Lycoris Black (1904 – 1965) – Harry's 2nd cousin twice removed; Dorea Potter's cousin; James Potter's 2nd cousin once removed (Sirius II and Hesper's daughter).

Regulus Black I (1906 – 1959) – Harry's 2nd cousin twice removed; Dorea Potter's cousin; James Potter's 2nd cousin once removed (Sirius II and Hesper's son).

Arcturus Black III (1901 – 1991) – Harry's 2nd cousin twice removed; Dorea Potter's cousin; James Potter's 2nd cousin once removed (Sirius II and Hesper's son).

Melania Macmillan (1903 – 1929) – Harry's 2nd cousin twice removed by marriage; Arcturus III's wife; Dorea Potter's cousin; James Potter's 2nd cousin once removed (Sirius II and Hesper's daughter-in-law).

Lucretia Prewett nee Black (1925 – 1992) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed (Arcturus III and Melania's daughter).

Orion Black (1929 – 1979) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed (Arcturus III and Melania's son).

Lucretia Prewett nee Black (1925 – 1992) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed (Arcturus III and Melania's daughter).

Ignatius Prewett (1925 – 1993) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed by marriage (Arcturus III and Melania's son-in-law).

Orion Black (1929 – 1979) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed (Arcturus III and Melania's son).

Walburga Black (1925) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed by marriage/Harry's 1st cousin once removed by blood (Pollux and Irma Black's daughter).

Sirius Orion Black III (1959) – Harry's 2nd cousin (Orion and Walburga's son).

Regulus Black II (1961 – 1979) – Harry's 2nd cousin (Orion and Walburga's son).

Cygnus Black II (1889 – 1943) – Harry's great grandfather; Dorea's father; James' maternal grandfather (Phineas Nigellus & Ursula's son).

Violetta Black nee Bulstrode (1890 – 1920) – Harry's great grandmother by marriage; Dorea's mother; James' maternal grandmother (Phineas Nigellus & Ursula's daughter-in-law).

Pollux Black (1912 – 1990) – Harry's granduncle; Dorea's brother; James' uncle (Cygnus & Violetta's son).

Cassiopeia Black (1915) – Harry's grandaunt; Dorea's sister; James' aunt (Cygnus & Violetta's daughter).

Marius Black (1917 – 1995) – Harry's granduncle; Dorea's brother; James' uncle (Cygnus & Violetta's son).

Dorea Potter nee Black (1920 – 1977) – Harry's grandmother; James' mother (Cygnus & Violetta's daughter).

Pollux Black (1912 – 1990) – Harry's granduncle; Dorea's brother; James' uncle (Cygnus & Violetta's son).

Irma Black nee Crabbe (1907 – 1938) – Harry's grandaunt by marriage; Dorea's sister-in-law; James aunt by marriage (Cygnus & Violetta's daughter-in-law).

Walburga Black (1925) – Harry's 1st cousin once removed by blood/Harry's 2nd cousin once removed by marriage; Orion Black's wife (Pollux & Irma's daughter).

Alphard Black (1927 – 1976) – Harry's 1st cousin once removed (Pollux & Irma's son).

Cygnus Black III (1938 – 1992) – Harry's 1st cousin once removed (Pollux & Irma's son).

Walburga Black (1925) – Harry's 1st cousin once removed by blood/Harry's 2nd cousin once removed by marriage (Pollux & Irma's daughter).

Orion Black (1929 – 1979) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed by blood/Harry's 1st cousin once removed by marriage (Arcturus III and Melania's son).

Sirius Orion Black III (1959) – Harry's 2nd cousin (Walburga & Orion's son).

Regulus Black II (1961 – 1979) – Harry's 2nd cousin (Walburga & Orion's son).

Cygnus Black III (1938 – 1992) – Harry's 1st cousin once removed (Pollux & Irma's son).

Druella Black nee Rosier (1938 – 1955) – Harry's 1st cousin once removed by marriage; Cygnus III's wife (Pollux & Irma's daughter-in-law).

Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black (1951) – Harry's 2nd cousin (Cygnus III & Druella's daughter).

Andromeda Tonks nee Black (1953) – Harry's 2nd cousin (Cygnus III & Druella's daughter).

Narcissa Malfoy nee Black (1955) – Harry's 2nd cousin (Cygnus III & Druella's daughter).

(**The Lestrange family**)

Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black (1951) – Harry's 2nd cousin (Cygnus III & Druella's daughter).

Rodolphus Lestrange (1951) – Harry's 2nd cousin by marriage; Bellatrix's husband (Cygnus III & Druella's son-in-law).

Rabastan Lestrange (1953) – Harry's 2nd cousin by marriage; Bellatrix's brother-in-law (Rodolphus' brother).

(**The Tonks family**)

Andromeda Tonks nee Black (1953) – Harry's 2nd cousin (Cygnus III & Druella's daughter).

Edward Tonks (1950) – Harry's 2nd cousin by marriage; Andromeda's husband (Cygnus III & Druella's son-in-law).

Nymphadora Tonks (1973) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed (Andromeda & Theodore's daughter).

(**The Malfoy family**)

Narcissa Malfoy nee Black (1955) – Harry's 2nd cousin (Cygnus III & Druella's daughter).

Lucius Malfoy (1954) – Harry's 2nd cousin by marriage; Narcissa's husband (Cygnus III & Druella's son-in-law).

Draco Malfoy (1980) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed (Narcissa & Lucius' son).

(**The Potter family**)

Dorea Potter nee Black (1920 – 1977) – Harry's paternal grandmother (Cygnus II & Violetta's daughter).

Charlus Potter (1920) – Harry's paternal grandfather (Alaric's son).

James Potter (1960) – Harry's father (Dorea & Charlus' son). The Duke of Æsctir.

Lily Potter nee Evans (1960) – Harry's mother (Dorea & Charlus' daughter-in-law). The Duchess of Æsctir.

(**The Burke family**)

Belvina Burke nee Black (1886 – 1962) – Harry's 1st cousin thrice removed/Harry's great grandaunt; Cygnus II's younger sister; Dorea Potter's aunt; James Potter's grandaunt (Phineas Nigellus & Ursula's daughter).

Herbert Burke (1886 – 1960) – Harry's 1st cousin thrice removed by marriage/Harry's great granduncle by marriage; Cygnus II's brother-in-law; Dorea Potter's uncle; James Potter's granduncle; Belvina's husband (Phineas Nigellus & Ursula's son-in-law).

Unnamed Male Burke Son – Harry's 2nd cousin twice removed; Dorea Potter's cousin; James Potter's 2nd cousin once removed (Belvina & Herbert's son).

Unnamed Male Burke Son – Harry's 2nd cousin twice removed; Dorea Potter's cousin; James Potter's 2nd cousin once removed (Belvina & Herbert's son).

Unnamed Female Burke Daughter – Harry's 2nd cousin twice removed; Dorea Potter's cousin; James Potter's 2nd cousin once removed (Belvina & Herbert's daughter).

Arcturus Black II (1884 – 1959) – Harry's 1st cousin thrice removed/Harry's great granduncle/Cygnus II's younger brother; Dorea Potter's uncle; James Potter's granduncle (Phineas Nigellus & Ursula's son).

Lysandra Black nee Yaxley (1884 – 1919) – Harry's 1st cousin thrice removed by marriage/Harry's great grandaunt by marriage; Cygnus II's sister-in-law; Dorea Potter's aunt; James Potter's grandaunt (Phineas Nigellus & Ursula's daughter-in-law).

Callidora Longbottom nee Black (1915 – 1996) – Harry's 2nd cousin twice removed; Dorea Potter's cousin; James Potter's 2nd cousin once removed (Arcturus II's & Lysandra's daughter).

Cedrella Black (1917 – 1950) – Harry's 2nd cousin twice removed; Dorea Potter's cousin; James Potter's 2nd cousin once removed (Arcturus II's & Lysandra's daughter).

Charis Black (1919 – 1973) – Harry's 2nd cousin twice removed; Dorea Potter's cousin; James Potter's 2nd cousin once removed (Arcturus II's & Lysandra's daughter).

(**The Longbottom family**)

Callidora Longbottom nee Black (1915 – 1996) – Harry's 2nd cousin twice removed; Dorea Potter's cousin; James Potter's 2nd cousin once removed (Arcturus II's & Lysandra's daughter).

Harfang Longbottom (1915 – 1990) – Harry's 2nd cousin twice removed by marriage; Dorea Potter's cousin by marriage; James Potter's 2nd cousin once removed by marriage (Arcturus II's & Lysandra's son-in-law).

Frank Longbottom I (1933) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed (Callidora & Harfang's son).

Julia Longbottom (1935) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed (Callidora & Harfang's daughter).

Frank Longbottom I (1933) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed (Callidora & Harfang's son).

Augusta Longbottom (1951) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed by marriage (Callidora & Harfang's daughter-in-law).

Frank Longbottom II (1960) – Harry's 3rd cousin (Frank I & Augusta's son).

Frank Longbottom II (1960) – Harry's 3rd cousin (Frank I & Augusta's son).

Alice Longbottom (1960) – Harry's 3rd cousin by marriage (Frank I & Augusta's daughter-in-law).

Neville Longbottom (1980) – Harry's 3rd cousin once removed (Frank II & Alice's son).

Julia Evans nee Longbottom (1935) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed/Harry's maternal step-grandmother; Arwyn Evans' 3rd wife (Callidora & Harfang's daughter).

Arwyn Evans (1925) – Harry's maternal grandfather.

(**The Weasley family**)

Cedrella Weasley nee Black (1917 – 1950) – Harry's 2nd cousin twice removed; Dorea Potter's cousin; James Potter's 2nd cousin once removed (Arcturus II's & Lysandra's daughter).

Septimus Weasley (1917 – 1990) – Harry's 2nd cousin twice removed by marriage; Dorea Potter's cousin by marriage; James Potter's 2nd cousin once removed by marriage (Arcturus II & Lysandra's son-in-law).

Billius Weasley (1947 – 1985) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed (Cedrella & Septimus' son).

Percival Weasley (1949 – 1993) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed (Cedrella & Septimus' son).

Arthur Weasley (1950) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed (Cedrella & Septimus' son).

Arthur Weasley (1950) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed (Cedrella & Septimus' son).

Molly Weasley (1949) – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed by marriage (Elias & Genevieve's daughter).

William Weasley (1970) – Harry's 3rd cousin (Arthur & Molly's son).

Charles Weasley (1972) – Harry's 3rd cousin (Arthur & Molly's son).

Percy Weasley (1976) – Harry's 3rd cousin (Arthur & Molly's son).

Fred Weasley (1978) – Harry's 3rd cousin (Arthur & Molly's son).

George Weasley (1978) – Harry's 3rd cousin (Arthur & Molly's son).

Ron Weasley (1980) – Harry's 3rd cousin (Arthur & Molly's son).

Ginevra Weasley (1981) – Harry's 3rd cousin (Arthur & Molly's daughter).

(**The Crouch family**)

Charis Crouch nee Black (1919 – 1973) – Harry's 2nd cousin twice removed; Dorea Potter's cousin; James Potter's 2nd cousin once removed (Arcturus II's & Lysandra's daughter).

Caspar Crouch (1919 – 1980) – Harry's 2nd cousin twice removed by marriage; Dorea Potter's cousin by marriage; James Potter's 2nd cousin once removed by marriage (Arcturus II's & Lysandra's son-in-law).

Unnamed Male Crouch Son – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed (Charis & Caspar's son).

Unnamed Female Crouch Daughter – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed (Charis & Caspar's daughter).

Unnamed Female Crouch Daughter – Harry's 2nd cousin once removed (Charis & Caspar's daughter).

**The Hitchens family:**

Isla Hitchens nee Black (1849 – 1935) – Harry's paternal great-great-grandaunt; Phineas Nigellus' sister.

Bob Hitchens (1848 – 1921) – Harry's paternal great-great-granduncle by marriage.

**The Prewett family:**

Michael Prewett (1870 – 1979) – Molly's grandfather; patriarch of Prewett family.

Jane Prewett (1870 – 1892) – Molly's step-grandmother; Michael's first wife.

Winifred Prewett (1907) – Molly's grandmother; matriarch of Prewett family.

Muriel Prewett (1890) – Molly's aunt; Elias' older sister (Michael & Jane's daughter).

Tessie Prewett (1892) – Molly's aunt; Elias' older sister (Michael & Jane's daughter).

Ignatius Prewett (1925 – 1993) – Molly's uncle; Elias' older brother (Michael & Winifred's son).

Elias Prewett (1939) – Molly's father (Michael & Winifred's son).

Ignatius Prewett (1925 – 1993) – Molly's uncle; Elias' older brother (Michael & Winifred Prewett's eldest son).

Lucretia Prewett nee Black (1925 – 1992) – Molly's aunt by marriage; Ignatius' wife; Elias' sister-in-law (Michael & Winifred Prewett's daughter-in-law).

Elias Prewett (1939) – Molly's father (Michael & Winifred's son).

Genevieve Prewett (1939) – Molly's mother (Michael & Winifred's daughter-in-law).

Gideon Prewett (1957 – 1981) – Molly's older brother; Fabian's twin brother (Elias and Genevieve's son).

Fabian Prewett (1957 – 1981) – Molly's older brother; Gideon's twin brother (Elias and Genevieve's son).

Molly Weasley nee Prewett (1959) – Elias and Genevieve's daughter; Arthur's wife; matriarch of the Weasley family.

(I've omitted certain parts of certain families so as not to give away which characters will survive and have wives/husbands and children; their names and their relations to Harry will be added when the time is right at the A/N of a particular chapter. Most of the names and characters are canon, and so are their relations to Harry, though I've added in names for most of the 'unnamed relatives' Harry has - with the exception of the Burke and Crouch lines. I've also added in people who HAVE to be canon but were never spoken of like the Weasley family patriarch and matriarch and Arthur's siblings, etc.)

* * *

><p>Well, that's it for the extremely long preface. But if you've read it through then you'll know why you needed to read it. I'm sorry if the changes bother you. Please don't read further if it does - like Lily's pureblood status, the Potters' exaggerated wealth and titles as well as the incubus aspect of it all.<p>

If any of it confuses you, please feel free to PM me and ask me about it, but not until you've read through the entire Preface as it would be an extremely long explanation otherwise.

Thank you so very much.

Lorelai.


	2. Chapter 1

**Harry Potter and the Incubus Inheritance: Harry Potter and the First Downfall**

**Chapter 1 – Strength and Courage**

**Summary**: Newly graduated from Hogwarts, James asks Lily a very important question.

**A/N**: Lily, James and the Marauders were born late 1959/early-to-mid 1960. They attended Hogwarts from September 1971 to June 1978 (canon). It wasn't exactly specified when James and Lily were married so I'm putting the engagement in June 1978 right after their graduation.

I'm placing Petunia's birth in 1954 and Vernon's birth in 1953. They married in 1977 (the year before this chapter), less than a year after Petunia's university graduation, much to the disappointment of Lily's parents and their extended family (they'd hoped that Petunia would marry a muggleborn or a half-blood so that her children would have a greater chance of inheriting magic, after the disappointment of Petunia being a squib).

Lily and James will be married in late June 1978. Here, we see the proposal.

Æsctir is an Old English word meaning 'glory in war'. It is pronounced ASH-TIR.

The title of this chapter comes from this quote by Lao Tzu: 'Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage'.

**Timeline**: June 1978.

**Location**: Seacliff Castle, Peverell Abbey, Æsctir, South-West England, Kingdom of Albion.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter or Charmed. Those rights belong to JK Rowling and Constance M. Burge. I am merely playing with JK's characters and Burge's ideas for supernatural powers. I mean no copyright infringement.

* * *

><p>Lily Evans closed her eyes, her lips turning upwards as a sweet scented breeze blew through her, ruffling her hair and making her heart swell with nostalgia. This part of the gardens at Seacliff Castle was heavy with lavender and it reminded her of home – her mother's favourite flower was lavender and it had grown in abundance in the gardens of Aoife Evans' childhood home in Ireland. When they had gotten married, her father Arwyn had had an entire lavender garden grown at Gwynhyrfar Castle.<p>

It would be a year to the day in just a few weeks since the attack at Gwynhyrfar, her father's Welsh estate, and a year to the day since her family had been rushed to Seacliff for protection. Thanks to the strong wards and protections that Merlin and Godric Gryffindor had put in place over a thousand years ago, Seacliff Castle was even better protected than Hogwarts. The Evans family, including her father's second and third wives and Lily's half-sister, had all been given full refuge under King Charlus' protection despite the fact that they were undergoing their own grief.

Just days before the attack at Gwynhyrfar, Dorea Potter – James' mother and the Queen – had been brutally murdered by Lord Voldemort himself. She had been travelling back to Æsctir with her husband after a peace conference in Russia and they had been attacked en route. While they had secured Russia's loyalty against Lord Voldemort (they would stay neutral and wouldn't allow any of Voldemort's followers to seek refuge in their territories, let alone allow them to strengthen their armies there, but they wouldn't be actively joining in the war either), James had lost his mother. Charlus had survived but the Queen had passed away in battle after a grievous wound had been inflicted on her.

Lily had never been more grateful that her entire family had gotten away safely, step-mothers, half-sisters, irritated squib sisters and magic-hating muggle brothers-in-law included; Petunia had kicked up a fuss when their father had pulled her out of her perfectly normal muggle life and taken her to Seacliff with the rest of them. She had only agreed when Arwyn had agreed to take her new husband Vernon Dursley with them as well. It hadn't made either of them pleasant to be around – especially since they'd shrieked and complained at every little show of magic.

Truth be told, it had been quite embarrassing.

However, in the face of the horrifying attack at Gwynhyrfar and the gloomy mood at Æsctir following the death of their Queen, no one had spared a second thought to the squib daughter of the Evans family and their peculiar son-in-law with his strange disapproval of all things magical.

Lily had seen a different side to James Potter that summer. He wasn't the obnoxious prankster or the arrogant Prince. He was a grieving young man, heartbroken over the loss of his mother and struggling to come to terms with his building responsibilities as the war raged on and his seventeenth birthday (and with it, his coronation as Crown Prince) drew nearer and nearer.

Though his friends – the famed Marauders – had been at Seacliff the entire summer, they hadn't been the immature brats she'd been unfortunate enough to know for six years. They had been supportive of James and helpful in ways she had never seen them to be. Remus had already been her friend before. Quiet and unassuming whenever he wasn't in the presence of his prankster friends, she had enjoyed his companionship when they studied together in the library and when they'd performed their duties as Gryffindor prefects.

She hadn't counted on enjoying the companionship of James and the other Marauders, however, and it had taken her aback when they'd shared their first laugh together.

She was even more taken aback when, just weeks after her arrival at Seacliff, her father had come to her and told her of James' official request to court her. He hadn't once made a lewd remark or flirt with her the entire time since she'd arrived, and it had been disconcerting for her to experience. He had been so withdrawn, so heartbroken, nothing at all like the lively boy she'd known almost her whole life.

She was doubly shocked when the thought of being courted by him hadn't repulsed her this time. She had even felt flutters in her stomach. The shock of her sudden realization that she had affections for James had made her agree to the request, much to her parents' jubilation.

A year of courtship later and here they were, recent graduates of Hogwarts.

James, of course, was busy taking upon his responsibilities as the Crown Prince of Albion. With Albion taking an active role in the dark war against Voldemort, his responsibilities were mounting day after day.

Lily was a little bit lost these days, wondering what her role would be now that school was over. She was the daughter of a nobleman, a marquess no less. Jobs had never been in her future. But she had far too much intelligence, far too much to offer, to simply be a courtesan, a wife of another nobleman. Even being just the wife of a future King wouldn't satisfy her.

James had an entire country to look after, a war to fight. She had nothing to look forward to.

A sudden heaviness that had been so familiar to her these past few weeks settled uncomfortably in her heart.

A pair of soft, warm lips pressed against her cheek from behind and Lily jolted, startled. She smiled when she caught a whiff of a very familiar scent.

'James,' she murmured. Her eyes fluttered open and she turned around to face him as their arms wrapped around each other in a loving embrace.

'What are you doing all the way up here?' James asked, his voice light with humour as he looked around the stone turret she had chosen as her hideaway.

Lily shrugged, a bashful smile on her lips. 'I was just enjoying the view of the gardens below,' she told him coyly.

'Well, I can do you one better,' he boasted, his hazel eyes sparkling warmly. 'Will you agree to accompany me to the garden? It's a beautiful day – we should enjoy it while we can.'

Lily smiled brightly. 'I agree,' she nodded. 'And, yes, I will accompany you. Thank you for asking me.'

He stepped back from her embrace and held out his arm for her to take, leading them down the steps of the tower so they could make their way through the gardens.

Lily sighed contentedly at the serene setting they were in – they were walking down a cobbled path between artfully formed beds of lavender flowers and a peaceful, crinkling lake. With every moment that she spent in James' presence, the heaviness in her heart grew lighter.

'I'm surprised you have time for me,' Lily teased, turning her head up to look at James. 'You've been so incredibly busy lately.'

James nodded, a serious look entering his eyes. 'I apologize for that,' he said sincerely. 'Father and I have been working tirelessly with Dumbledore…The attacks are only getting more and more frequent.'

Lily searched his face and frowned at the severity of his expression. 'I know how badly things have gotten,' she said tentatively, even though she didn't. Not really. 'And…I'm aware of the…precautions Dumbledore has been taking to fight Voldemort and his Death Eaters.'

James stopped walking altogether and turned his body to face her. 'What do you know about such things?' he asked suspiciously. His father would flog him in public if he thought he'd betrayed Order secrets to impress his lady.

Lily tried to give him her best innocent expression. At the roll of his eyes, she knew she hadn't succeeded. 'There are certain benefits to being the daughter of such a high-ranking nobleman,' she admitted.

'Your father told you?' he sounded displeased.

Lily shook her head. 'No, no, of course not,' she was quick to disagree. The last thing she needed was to get her father in trouble. 'I've simply...found _ways_ to discover information being exchanged within the walls of Gwynhyrfar.'

James suddenly looked amused. 'You mean you _eavesdropped_,' he corrected her, his voice teasing. His feet moving again as he led her farther down the path. She was happy to note that he didn't sound angry.

'Perhaps,' she teased coyly.

'And what do you plan to do with this particular piece of information?' James pressed.

'I plan to use it,' Lily said determinedly. James gave her a curious, wary look. 'Don't look at me like that, James. It isn't anything _malicious_, for Merlin's sake. It's just that…I feel so very useless, just sitting around all day when the war is waging on.'

'You haven't been useless,' James assured her. 'Ulfric tells me you've been quite helpful in assisting him with the wounded.'

Lily blushed slightly. Ulfric was the court physician at Seacliff Castle. He was positively ancient – he had been the royal physician since King Charlus was a baby – but his knowledge was vast and impressive. Lily, who had always been good at Charms and Potions, and had had more than a passing interest in Healing, had learned a lot from him just by assisting him in healing the sick citizens of Æsctir and the wounded soldiers and knights who'd fought against Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

'And it's been great working with him,' she said honestly. 'I'm glad that Ulfric believes me to be helpful, but I feel as though I should be doing something more.'

There was no hiding his trepidation as he asked, his words slow and concise, 'What exactly do you mean by that?'

'I think I should be allowed to join the Order.'

James almost choked on his next breath of air. 'Lily!' he hissed, looking around as though to find unsavoury characters snooping in on their conversation.

Lily rolled her eyes. The castle was the most fortified place in the world, by means of magical wards, powerful guards and walls carved with runic enchantments. The castle was even safer than Hogwarts. There was no way any eavesdropper could be listening in to them.

Once he was certain that there was no one around, James turned to look at her sternly. 'Lily, you're not supposed to know about the Order,' he chided.

Lily ignored that. 'Don't patronize me, James,' she scolded. 'I have as much right as anyone else to fight for our freedom and defend our people.'

'You should leave the fighting to the rest of us,' he urged her.

She glared at him. 'Why, because I'm a _woman_?' she snapped angrily, insulted. 'I'm better with my wand than most of your esteemed guards!'

'I know that,' he hastened to assure her.

'So you agree that I'm skilled?'

'Of course I do – I've seen you, remember?' he said soothingly. 'I remember the way you duel in class, and I've seen you take on Bellatrix Lestrange at the Hogsmeade attack. I know you can do this.'

'Then why do you oppose my entry into the Order so much?' she demanded.

He sighed loudly. 'Because!' he snapped. At the hurt look in her eyes, his gaze softened and his expression lost its fierceness. 'I'm sorry. It's just…It's too dangerous.'

'Alice Longbottom has already joined,' she pointed out to him. She had overheard her parents talking about the newly wedded Alice joining her husband Frank in the Order just days ago.

'Alice isn't you,' he protested. 'I don't care for her as I do for you.'

Lily shook her head, turning her head away. 'I can't take another day of this, James,' she said quietly. 'Knowing that there are good men and women out there, fighting every day, while I just sit by and do nothing? It's killing me.'

'Lily…'

'It is my right to fight,' she said determinedly. 'Please. Don't attempt to stop me, James.'

James sighed heavily. 'I suppose I _can't_ stop you, can I?' he smiled self-deprecatingly.

She beamed at him. 'No, you really can't,' she patted his arm consolingly.

He barked out a laugh. 'Well, I hope you won't think I don't believe in your skills when I get a little protective sometimes,' he warned her. 'It's simply in my nature to be protective of the people that I love.'

Lily's heart thudded in her chest. They had said those three powerful words – "I love you" – just a few months ago. Of course, James had been proclaiming his love for her since first year and dropping to his knees to loudly ask her hand in marriage in front of a large audience since third year. However, those had been the actions and words of a child – a juvenile prankster who didn't truly understand what real love was.

The James that she'd fallen in love with hadn't lost his humour even if it had been hard to hold onto after the brutal murder of his mother, something he had witnessed no less. But her James was more mature and more aware of what true love was. She had fallen so deeply for him and had been elated at hearing his proclamation of love because she knew that, this time, he meant it wholly.

Even months later, the thrill hadn't faded.

'I love you, James,' she whispered, her eyes locked on his.

As though he knew exactly why she was getting so emotional – and he probably did, the sly bastard – James stopped walking and drew her close. 'I love you, as well, Tiger Lily,' he murmured against her lips.

Lily laughed into his mouth. 'Oh, that ridiculous nickname,' she groaned laughingly.

'You love it,' he teased back, a large smile overtaking his handsome face.

'I'll admit to no such thing.'

James laughed and twirled her around in his arms in an impromptu slow dance. A warm twinkle in his bright hazel eyes and an almost mischievous smile on his lips made her chuckle. 'What is it?' she wondered, curious to know.

'I have a surprise for you,' he told her in a soft, excited voice.

Lily gazed at him warily. His surprises were usually in the form of a prank. However, the loving gaze in his eyes told her this time might be a bit different. 'What is the surprise, then?' she asked.

'Close your eyes,' he instructed.

'James…'

He took her by the shoulders gently and gave her a warm, open look. 'Trust me, Lily,' he urged. 'Close your eyes.'

She sighed, pretending this to be a great sacrifice, and with a smile fighting to break on her lips, she did as he asked.

James, his entire body buzzing in excitement, slowly led her forward whilst ensuring that her eyes were closed the entire way. He led her straight towards a garden gazebo at the end of the lake.

'Step up,' he murmured and Lily stopped, raising her foot up and feeling around for the step, feeling a little giggly.

James led her to a stop right in the centre of the gazebo. 'Wait…Right there,' he said, slowly withdrawing from her.

Making sure her eyes were still closed, he looked around the gazebo. Whipping out his wand, he lit the fires and tapped one of the stone partitions of the gazebo, slowly propelling the stone feature away from the edge of the garden and further down the lake.

When the gazebo was firmly in the centre of the lake, James smiled and stopped it from moving any further. Taking one last look around, he took in a deep breath and stepped closer to Lily. He tucked his wand back into his pocket and took her hands in his.

'Open your eyes, Lily,' he said softly, his gaze fixed on her lovely face.

With a curious smile quirked on her lips, Lily's eyelids fluttered open. Her catlike almond-shaped emerald eyes widened when she caught sight of the hundreds of lit candles surrounding them, placed on every flat surface in the gazebo and floating peacefully in the lake. It was twilight now, the sky bleeding red as the sun lowered itself to the earth, and it turned the lake a beautiful orange and red colour, almost as though the water itself was on fire.

'James,' Lily breathed, taking in the beautiful scene.

James' heart thudded painfully in his chest. The awed tone in Lily's voice did nothing to assuage his nerves or his fear. Taking in another deep breath, James dropped to one knee, hands gently squeezing Lily's.

Lily's eyes peeled away from the candles, the lake and the setting sun, and her gaze dropped on him. At the sight of him on bended knee, her lips parted and formed a shocked little half-smile as though she couldn't quite believe what she now knew he was planning to do.

'Lily,' James started. 'This past year has been the most trying of my life. I have experienced the most unimaginable grief, had to face the most difficult tribulations and overcome the hardest hurdles. I have been so frightened of failing my father, my people…And, most importantly, the memory of my mother. I wanted so badly to prove myself but every move I made was filled with fear instead of bravery. I have been wary of every decision made, every step I take, but you…You have been so sure, so calm. You have given me strength to face my grief, courage to overcome my fears and faith in myself to be the man I never thought I could be. I know that I still have a long way to go. I still have many lessons to learn – and I will learn them all, if not for my people, then certainly for you. Right now, I am simply just the Prince. But one day, I will be King. I know that my reign will flourish if you are beside me. Lily Evans, will you do me the honour of being my Queen?'

Lily took in a shuddering breath as James took out an object from his trouser pocket – a round rose gold band with a large blood red diamond in the middle, surrounded by clusters of sparkling white diamonds forming the regal shape of a crown.

Lily's eyes were transfixed, staring at the image of her beloved James with that beautiful ring in his hand. She wanted to tell him her answer – scream it out, really – but it was as though her voice had vanished. A hot splash of moisture on her cheek startled her into realizing that she had been crying.

Eventually, James grew anxious that her answer would be no and prompted cautiously, 'Lily?'

A burst of laughter, wet and hysterical, escaped her lips and her mouth pulled into a large, uncontrollable smile. 'Yes! James, yes, of course I will be your Queen,' she answered breathlessly, pulling a relieved, exultant smile from James.

He stood up from the ground, took her in his arms and kissed her soundly, swallowing a sob from her lips. Pulling back, they smiled into each other's eyes, foreheads leaning together. James took her left hand in his and slid the ring onto her finger.

'With all my heart, yes,' Lily whispered, her right hand coming up to cup his cheek.

* * *

><p>This was really more of a filler chapter, as you can see, just setting the scene for James and Lily's few years together before the tragedy at Godric's Hollow. Harry won't be making an appearance for a few more chapters, and even then he'd be a newborn baby. He'll be a constant surprise from the start – even before that, really – but he'll still be a baby. 'Harry Potter and the First Downfall' won't have any 'real' Harry scenes' since he'll be a baby through most of it, if you're looking for teen-Harry-angst. The second story in the series, 'Harry Potter and the Years of Peace', will have 'real Harry scenes' since it's longer and depicts his childhood in the wizarding world.<p>

Even so, I hoped you enjoyed the first chapter and will enjoy the rest. I won't drag out the story unpleasantly. Please do tell me what you think.

Love,

Lorelai.


	3. Chapter 2

**Harry Potter and the Incubus Inheritance: Harry Potter and the First Downfall**

**Chapter 2 – Wedded Bliss**

**Summary**: James and Lily endure a hectic week to get to the aisle.

**Timeline**: June 1978.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter or Charmed. Those rights belong to JK Rowling and Constance M. Burge. I am merely playing with JK's characters and Burge's ideas for supernatural powers. I mean no copyright infringement.

* * *

><p>'This is indeed a cause for celebration!'<p>

Goblets of wine were raised in agreement to King Charlus' pronouncement. The great hall of Seacliff Castle was decked in red and gold – like a tribute to Gryffindor House – and today, the opulence of the castle was even more glaring.

At the long table directly in the middle of the great room, King Charlus sat at the head on his throne. James sat on his right, the Crown Prince of Albion, and Lily sat next to him, the soon-to-be Princess. Lily's family sat on King Charlus' left, Lily's parents and half-sister Emmeline beaming excitedly at the newly engaged couple. The rest of the long table was filled with the loyal knights of Æsctir and the noble families of the kingdom. Sirius, Remus and Peter were also in attendance, sitting next to Lily.

'We will announce the impending union today itself and we will have the grandest celebration,' Charlus declared. With a proud grin and a clap to James' shoulder, Charlus said in a voice filled with joy, 'My son…Finally ready to make his mark as a man worthy of his title.'

James ducked his head, humbled by his father's words. He knew that he had served the family well by joining in the fight against Voldemort. He had led armies and gone on secret missions and done his best to defend his nation against attacks by Death Eaters, but he wished more than anything to do his father proud.

Charlus had allowed Queen Dorea's indulgence of James his whole life but when Dorea had died, it seemed as though his good humour had died along with her. Now he was almost cold in his demands for James to be better than he always was. It seemed that Charlus finally believed that James had grown up.

'Your Majesty, House Evans cannot be more thrilled that our families will be united in such holy matrimony,' Lily's father Arwyn, the Marquess of Killian, said. Aoife, Lily's mother and the Marchioness, agreed, taking his hand in support.

Lily beamed happily at both her parents. A look to their left made her smile falter.

Petunia Dursley nee Evans, a previous Lady in the House of Evans, was glaring openly at Lily. Her eyes, blue and angry, were almost empty in their coldness. Her mouth was set in a hard line. It was almost easy to forget, with her parents' blinding love and the wonderful sisterly affections given by her half-sister Emmeline, that her relationship with her sister Petunia had deteriorated so badly that it seemed as though there was no love there to begin with.

Lily knew that it hadn't been easy for Petunia to grow up in a noble, pureblood House as a squib. She had to watch enviously as her sister and half-sister got to experience their first bouts of accidental magic. She had to send them off on the Hogwarts Express with a broken heart each year. It hadn't been a surprise, then, when Petunia turned her sadness, loneliness and envy into hatred and fear simply to help her cope with her parents' disappointment and constant favouring of Lily and Emmeline.

Still, the change was a sharp knife to the gut every single time Lily bore the brunt of Petunia's anger.

'No doubt, both our houses will benefit from such a holy union,' Charlus agreed, toasting his goblet of wine in Arwyn and Aoife's direction.

'Who would have thought, Prongs,' Sirius grinned roguishly at James and Lily. 'You – becoming a married man…Just a few days left for you as a bachelor.'

James rolled his eyes playfully. 'I can't wait for those days to come to an end,' he assured Lily, genuine in his words.

'What do you say, Lady Lily,' Sirius waggled his eyebrow at her and threw her a charming grin. 'Dump that royal tosser and run away with me.'

'As tempting as your offer is, Sirius,' Lily said dryly. 'I think I shall follow through with my engagement to James.'

Sirius placed a hand over his heart. 'You've left me broken-hearted, my lady,' he joked.

'Sirius!' came the harsh whisper from Arcturus, Sirius' grandfather, Head of House Black. Sirius rolled his eyes surreptitiously but was forced to obey – however minutely – when Arcturus reprimanded, 'Behave yourself accordingly!'

Remus shook his head at Sirius' disregard of proper etiquette. As it was, the King and Lily's parents ignored Sirius' blatant disrespect, but then again they'd always adored him. Sometimes, he marveled at how much Sirius got away with, just by being charming. Sirius' grandfather, however, would no doubt ream him out later. He resigned himself to hearing Sirius rant about the injustice of it all afterwards.

'We are all so happy for both of you,' Remus told the happy couple.

Sirius tried to keep in temper in check when he saw his grandfather grimace in distaste and turn away when Remus spoke up. He knew this would just be one more thing they'd argue about later but this wasn't the time or place to stir up a scene. It was time to celebrate James and Lily – and after the tumultuous journey it had taken for them to get here, it was well worth suppressing his spontaneous nature.

'Indeed,' Albus Dumbledore said, from his place at the closest seat next to King Charlus on his left. 'It is incredibly heartening to see that such great happiness could be achieved in times of terrible darkness.'

'You will come to the handfasting, won't you, Headmaster?' Lily asked.

She was very fond of the Headmaster, having been taken under his tutelage her last two years at Hogwarts. Such a thing was unheard of in the last few decades since Dumbledore had given up his post as Transfiguration professor and taken his title as Headmaster. He was far too busy running the school and overlooking his many other duties within the ICW and the Wizengamot. However, Lily had shown such great skill and talent, such impressive potential, that Dumbledore had made an exception.

'I know that you are very busy, what with the on-going war…' Lily continued.

Aoife cleared her throat delicately. 'Lily, darling,' she said in a hushed voice, giving Lily a stern look. 'This is not the time or place.'

Lily resisted the urge to glare at her mother. It would be highly unbecoming of a lady and her sister was an embarrassment enough. However, it irked her to think that her parents wanted her to know so little of the war, as though it was happening to everyone else but her. She understood their need to protect her – no matter the fact that she was now of age, she was still their child. She knew that when she had children of her own, she would do everything in her power to protect them as well. Ignorance wasn't the way to protect anyone, however, and she was very much bothered by her parents' insistence that she do nothing to aid in the war efforts.

'No, no,' King Charlus waved Aoife's chastisement off. 'It's a good thing that Lady Lily's invested in the war. As the future bride of the Crown Prince, she will need to be aware – and cautious. James, after all, is taking a very serious role in the war.'

Arwyn frowned, even as Lily perked up in her seat. 'Yes, but surely she isn't meant to _fight_ in it,' he interjected, worried.

'Of course not,' Charlus replied immediately.

Lily deflated, taking comfort when James hand wrapped around her fingers and squeezed.

'She will simply need to be aware of the struggles outside the protected walls of Seacliff,' Charlus continued. 'It wouldn't do for the future Queen of Albion to be naïve of our people's struggles. They will, after all, be _her_ people too.'

'Do not worry, Your Majesty,' Lily assured him. 'I wish to take an active part in the war against Voldemort.'

Even within the walls of Seacliff, the only place with a tighter security than Hogwarts and knights trained to be as fearless as they could possibly be, the name the Dark Lord had given himself still caused a hushed, horrible shiver to go through the table.

'_Active!?_' Arwyn Evans sounded alarmed. 'What do you mean by active?'

James fidgeted, throwing her a wary look.

Lily hazarded a look at Dumbledore. He was already looking at her, his blue eyes twinkling madly as though he knew exactly what she meant. She wouldn't put it past him to know. A small smile curved on his lips.

She knew this wasn't the time to get into her desire to join the Order. Even though she was certain that most, if not all, of the people at the long table knew about the Order, she didn't think it was something people talked about openly. It was a _secret_ Order, after all.

'Mother's right,' Lily said suddenly, startling her father. 'This isn't the time or place.'

After a few awkward glances between them, conversation shifted back to lighter, more pleasant things – more specifically, James and Lily's impending nuptials.

'A toast – to the happy couple!'

* * *

><p>The grounds of Seacliff had been turned into the wedding fanfare in the week before the actual ceremony. Tents were erected all over, side by side, each of them with performers acting out their tricks or vendors selling party favours specifically made in honour of the upcoming nuptials.<p>

While Lily spent the week before the handfasting preparing for the day itself, going for dress fittings, attending bridal showers, making appearances at the wedding fair to greet the people she would one day rule over as the Queen of Albion by James' side, and making decisions regarding the ceremony and reception afterwards, James had even more important matters to tend to.

In between battle strategies with the Order and the Knights of Æsctir, James attended meetings with King Charlus and the Marquess of Killian, discussing the terms and proper conditions of the marriage contract which would be signed by all three men by the end of the negotiations.

It had caused an uproar when, in the midst of discussing Lily's dowry and the naming of the second son as heir to the Evans estate, James stated quite plainly that he wished to forsake all marriage contracts tied to the Potter name, active and inactive. Lily was to be his only wife.

While it wasn't uncommon for a wizard to have only one wife, it was usually those who didn't have much wealth who chose to stop at one wife. Since the Potters were the wealthiest wizarding family in the kingdom of Albion, this wasn't a problem. Most of the Potter patriarchs who had only bedded one wife had usually died young in battle and hadn't had the chance to marry again - the Potters were also a warrior family dating back to King Arthur's reign. The rest had all married more than once.

King Charlus himself had chosen only Queen Dorea as his wife because none of the other marriage contracts tied to the Potter family had been suitable for him during his youth. When he and Dorea had married, it had taken them a long time to conceive, a problem which had stemmed from him not her, which had only reaffirmed his decision to marry only one wife.

Now with the war with Voldemort heating up, many pureblood families were terrified their lines would die out. Now more than ever, James needed to remember his duties as not only a warrior but the scion of House Potter.

'James, be reasonable!' Charlus glared at him from across the ornate desk in the middle of the King's study they'd commandeered for the negotiations.

James lifted his chin slightly in silent defiance. 'I _am_ being perfectly reasonable,' he argued. 'House Evans is a good ally for us.'

And it was true.

While the Potters could claim British royalty from the time of King Arthur and the great sorcerer Merlin, the Evans family could trace their bloodline directly to the ancient wizard kings of Ireland (from Lily's mother Aoife's side of the family; Aoife O'Neill had been directly related to several great O'Neill kings before the Irish wizarding nation became a part of the kingdom of Albion in the 19th century) and powerful, loyal Welsh Evan knights who had fought valiantly for the freedom of rights and the equality of all beings. The Evans family was a powerful ally for the Potter family, with wealth almost as vast and protection almost as strong.

'The union between Lady Lily and I will be of great asset for both our families,' James respectfully nodded in Lord Evans' direction. 'And Lily is the only wife that I would want. I wish to forsake my duties towards the marriage contracts.'

Charlus looked ready to breathe fire through his nose. He upheld every tradition, every old-fashioned custom, every honour code and every pureblood belief with fierce loyalty, with the exception of pureblood bigotry that had escaped the Potter family since the very beginning. If it hadn't been for the unsuitability towards the marriage contracts during his youth (the families the Potters were contracted to either had only sons, or daughters who were too age inappropriate or already married off to another family) and his difficulty in conceiving, Charlus would've taken more than one wife himself. It was too late for him now but James…He was blatantly disregarding the needs of their people.

'For Merlin's sake, James,' he snapped. 'Now is not the time to be _romantic_. The war with Voldemort is threatening the furthering of plenty of pureblood lines.'

'I'm sure it is,' James agreed. Every single day, he heard news of the young men and women he'd grown up with who had perished in battle. The war was an ugly one, and it shocked him a little that a monster who claimed to wish only for purebloods to have access to their world would kill them off one by one. 'But it isn't my duty to repopulate pureblood Albion. There are other scions from other reputable pureblood families with similar marriage contracts, I'm sure.'

Charlus couldn't disagree with that.

'Since, at this point in time, Albion isn't under extreme peril of dying out, I have the option of foregoing the marriage contracts,' James added, pointing out the clause that was always added into all marriage contracts.

Arwyn, unable to keep silent, pointed out, 'I'm sure you realize that if you do forego the marriage contracts, your future heir might have to take the responsibility himself in the future.'

This gave James pause.

He had only thought of himself – and of Lily. While she was the pureblood daughter of a wealthy nobleman with active incubus genes and was therefore no foreigner to the concept of multiple wives for the head of the family, he knew she wouldn't be happy if she had to share him with even one other woman.

And while his immature adolescent past self might have grinned rakishly at the thought of a harem of women at his beck and call, he had grown since then and knew that it wasn't all fun and games. With every addition to the family, responsibilities grew and so did burdens.

'However,' Arwyn added, seeing the doubt and hesitation on James' features. 'There is always the possibility that your heir will inherit the incubus genes passed down to almost every male Evans. He would not mind having to take on more than one wife.'

'He might,' Charlus interjected. 'And he might not. But what he will _feel_ is irrelevant. As the future heir of Albion, your son will have enough responsibilities placed upon his shoulders. He will obey the law of the land, and take on his responsibilities with pride. You will have to do your part. And who's to say that you and Lily will even bear a son? You might only have daughters. Who will carry on the line then? We cannot have a reigning Queen. The muggles might think it's perfectly acceptable but we are not like them. It's never been done.'

James shook his head resolutely. 'I'm sorry, father,' he said grimly. 'But I will marry Lily – and _only_ Lily. And our son will be a great King someday.'

Charlus had continued to try and persuade James further and father and son had come to heads more than a few times, voices raised in anger and tempers flaring dramatically. Finally, two days before the wedding was set to happen, the negotiations came to a close.

James was pleased enough that his father had finally relented on allowing him to sign a waiver, excusing him from following through on any marriage contracts the family had. He hadn't spoken to Lily yet about his decision to marry only once – he hadn't wanted to get her hopes up if it cannot be done – but he was thrilled that he could now give her the news.

Charlus and Arwyn were also pleased with what they'd both come up for the contract – their families were now more than just allies, they were bonded. After centuries of close friendship, the Potters and Evans were finally going to be family. With each other's support – in friendship, money and army – they had a higher chance of surviving the war. At the very least, their bloodlines did.

To celebrate the signing of the final contract, a jousting tournament was held in Lily's name. Lily sat with her family and James' in the stands overlooking the race tracks. James would be participating in the event, just like his knights. So would Sirius, as a nobleman and heir to an ancient family - his mother might have disowned him in name, but his grandfather Arcturus Black was the Head of House Black and had refused to disown him properly. Sirius wasn't welcomed at his parents' home but he was still heir to the Black title and fortune.

King Charlus sat at the very top, on an intricate throne meant just for him. To his right, his younger brother Prince William sat with his wife Vivian, the Duchess. To his left, Lily's father, mother and half-sister sat together. Lily sat with Prince William and Vivian on Charlus' immediate right. There was just one empty seat between them meant for James if and when he should return from the tournament.

Lily joined the others in clapping when Sir Eowyn, one of the knights of Æsctir, managed to unseat his opponent.

'Are you enjoying your wedding festivities?' Vivian asked, turning to smile beatifically at Lily.

Lily nodded. 'Oh, yes, they've been very…Eventful,' she replied diplomatically. She was usually truthful to whomever she spoke to, but to be that way with Vivian was too daunting to her. She wasn't easily intimidated but Vivian was a very poised, graceful woman. She made other women, regardless of how competent they were in their own right, feel inferior without even trying.

Vivian laughed, her black hair ruffling in the breeze. 'It's quite overwhelming, I know,' she said sympathetically. 'I knew I would marry a nobleman when I was a child. I didn't know I would marry a prince. And even with all of the practice I've had being an earl's daughter…Well, nothing could have prepared me for this.'

She shot Lily a knowing look, 'I suspect it's the same for you.'

Lily blushed slightly. 'It feels almost ungrateful to even speak of it,' she confided. 'I'm luckier than most people. I love James. Most people born into families like ours don't get that sort of luxury. And with James, our child will have a wonderful life. He will be safe and loved and cherished. I can't ask for anything more.'

'Darling girl,' Vivian took Lily's gloved hand in hers. 'There's nothing wrong with a bit of anxiety. In fact, I'd say it's quite expected. But you are a strong woman, Lady Lily. I know I don't know you well enough yet but I can see at least that quite clearly. You will make a great wife to the Crown Prince, and a great Princess to our people.'

Lily hoped she was right.

On the evening before the handfasting, a large feast was held in the great hall of the Seacliff Castle.

King Charlus, James, Lily, Prince William, the Duchess, the Marquess of Killian, the Marchioness of Killian, Lady Cara Vance-Evans and Lady Emmeline Vance-Evans sat at the head table, placed on a dais at the very front of the room. Sirius, Remus, and Frank and Alice Longbottom were some of the honoured guests chosen to sit with the royal family for this particular occasion, as part of the wedding party.

Several long tables, enlarged and elongated with magic to host the families and closest friends of the bride and groom, were laid out with a decorative gold and cream table cloth. Crystal goblets, china plates and sterling silverware were placed in their proper places in front of each seat. Wreaths of ivy, thistle and heather were hung up against every pillar, the blue and purple a sharp contrast to the regal bouquets of white lilies placed on every table.

Food of every imaginable fantasy was laid out on the table – roast potatoes, geese, quail, turkeys and lamb, cheese, butter and soft bread, oysters steamed in almond milk, spice mulled wine, Firewhisky, butterbeer, honeymead, puddings and sweetmeats.

The floors were laid out in majestic red carpets to welcome the stunning newly engaged couple. The curtains were a shimmery red and gold. The high ceilings were enchanted to look like a beautiful star-studded sky. Sirius could be heard some distance away from James and Lily, bragging to the bridesmaids that 'his' constellation was clearly shining the brightest in the magical sky.

The hall was loud with the sound of merry-making – cheers and laughter and people clinking their gold goblets together in toast of the happy couple about to enter into a year-long handfasting.

Petunia Dursley pursed her lips distastefully, masking her envy and seething anger behind disgust and dismissal.

When _she_ had gotten married, her entire family – including relatives she'd seen so scarcely in her life that she hadn't bothered remembering their names – had vocally expressed their disappointment that her choice in a husband had been a perfectly normal muggle man. Her only redeeming quality to them after being discovered as a squib, it seemed, was her ability to marry a wizard and produce children with a higher chance of inheriting magic.

She had held steadfast, standing up against her parents, against the Marquess, against all of these…_Freaks_ she'd had the displeasure of calling family, and she'd married Vernon despite having to give up the title of nobility.

Petunia had scoffed when her father had reminded her of this sacrifice. What was the point of nobility when no one in the natural world would even be aware of such a thing? To them, her father was nobody. She had no desire to follow in his – or, Lord forbid, Lily's – footsteps and becoming a loser.

She and Vernon had married. Petunia had renounced her title – it had been a wasteful title anyway, for a squib with little to no rights in the wizarding world, regardless of who her parents were. She had never been more relieved. On her wedding night, after she had officially become a Dursley, she had felt as though the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders.

She would no longer be the oddity, the strange little freak no one would knew what to do with. Now _she_ was the one who was normal and accepted. _They_ were the ones who didn't belong in her new world. Vernon had been greedy for daddy's money, but she would have none of it even if they offered. Freak money. Who needed it?

And now, Petunia told herself, there was no need to be envious at all. Lily was always destined to marry wizarding nobility. She had outdone her own bad luck and chosen to accept the proposal of wizarding royalty. James would one day be King - and that would mean that he would surely have to take on more than one wife. King Charlus' choice to only bed one wife was unusual. Then again, the war with Grindelwald hadn't affected Albion the way the war with Voldemort seemed to be affecting it. James would surely have no choice.

Yes, there was no need for envy. In fact, she should _pity_ her sister. All these fools clapping and celebrating their marriage and it would be nothing but a sham. Vernon was stable and faithful and he would give Petunia a good life. Lily was doomed to live a miserable life with a man who couldn't just wed one wife.

Petunia had grown up with a father who had an active incubus gene and more money than he knew what to do with. His incubus needs and tendencies, together with his wealth and noble titles, meant that it was a given that Arwyn would marry more than one wife. He hadn't been as awful as some of their ancestors – she shuddered thinking of Julian Evans from the 16th century, who had wedded over a hundred wives and fathered over three hundred children, half of them now dead and the other half married into other noble families – but he'd still taken on two other women asides from their mother Aoife.

He'd married Julia Longbottom, drawn to her youth and beauty – and the benefits marrying her would bring House Evans – and Cara Vance, an American witch with almost as much wealth as the Evans (all of whom had become Arwyn's after the wedding since Cara had no parents or siblings to speak of). This wasn't, of course, discounting his various mistresses, all of whom went through a constantly revolving door at the west wing of her father's Welsh estate, Gwynhyrfar.

Her mother had never been perturbed by this – the multiple marriages weren't uncommon for wealthy noblemen and the mistresses were a necessity for incubi – but Petunia had always pitied Aoife. Secretly, of course. Aoife had always seemed so poised and graceful, and her father's indiscretions had never been described as infidelity – not even by the press – but she couldn't help feeling so terribly bad for her mother, who would never know the love of a faithful man.

She couldn't understand why, during the rare times she'd voice her incredulity at Aoife's disregard for the many women in Arwyn's life, Aoife had looked at her pityingly instead, chiding her gently on the love of a good, loyal man. _A man doesn't need to be faithful in the way you think, Petunia_, Aoife would say. _He needs to be faithful in his heart, in his love, not with his body. Your father has always been faithful to me. He's also been faithful to his other wives, and his mistresses. Not everything is in black and white, my dear_.

She never understood it.

Then again, she was normal. Aoife wasn't.

A loud crackle and pop startled her out of her thoughts. Her head snapped around towards the direction the noise had come from. It was from the King's table up front.

A surge of bitterness crept up on her before she had the chance to quell it – she, of course, wasn't allowed to sit at the wedding table, being the squib daughter who'd married a muggle man and renounced her title as the daughter of the Marquess. Emmeline, the child Arwyn had had with his third wife Cara, was allowed to sit up there with her mother and Petunia's parents, but Petunia and her husband were shunned, forced to sit next to the other freaks at one of these long tables reserved for 'guests'.

A shaggy haired man, regal even in his rakish behaviour, was grinning widely as he threw an arm around James. Petunia recognized him as Sirius Black, a constant visitor to Seacliff Castle in the year she had been forced to live there with Vernon for protection in a war they had no part in. Two others were seated on Sirius' other side – she knew them to be Remus and Peter, though she couldn't be bothered to remember their last names. All four of them were laughing merrily, Lily giggling daintily next to James. A cloud of confetti surrounding the nearly wedded pair told her that someone – probably Sirius, judging from his expression – had pulled open a party cracker.

Petunia's eyes rested upon the happy couple.

Lily was wearing a flowing white dress – she had been told that the wedding dress itself was going to be blue, symbolizing purity. She rolled her eyes. Lily couldn't be normal and wear a white gown like every other bride in the world. Well, in Petunia's world anyway. Blue wedding dresses were still the norm in the wizarding world, especially amongst the nobles in Albion. God forbid Albion lets go of even a smidgen of old world tradition.

Lily's stunning red hair gleamed an almost fiery glow, no doubt from all the candles, lamps and torches lighting up the hall. Her eyes were an emerald green Petunia could see even from afar. Her smile was absolutely radiant as she sat next James. He was wearing the official regal robes of the Crown Prince. She gathered his robes for the handfasting would be a lot more showy than what he had on tonight, but he still looked handsome and majestic. His grin was as impish as his friend's, but when he turned to look at Lily, his eyes and his smile softened.

Petunia watched as James leaned in close to Lily, resting his forehead against hers and gazing into her eyes lovingly. He whispered something to her, making her smile and nod, and kissed her softly on the lips.

She sniffed, eyeing James' messy mop of hair. The least he could've done was run a comb through it.

While Petunia was doing her best to turn her envy and anger into disgust and fear, Lily was having the time of her life.

Lily's stomach was fluttering with a million butterflies, making it impossible to eat a single thing from the delicious feast. James and Sirius were doing a great job distracting her from her nerves by joking around, but each time James looked at her, held her hand discretely under the table or gave her one of his heart-melting smiles, she was back to being a nervous wreck. It felt as though her nerves were alive with static.

The Great Hall of the palace had been decorated beautifully. The food made mouth-wateringly. The entertainment – in the form of acrobats, tricksters, dancers, singers and circus performers of all traits – had been fun to watch. But none of these things could distract her from the coming day.

When it was finally time for the feast to break up so that the bride and groom could get the rest they needed for the coming ceremony the next day, James held out his arm to Lily.

'Let me escort you to your chambers, my lady,' he offered.

She stood, curtsied and accepted his arm. 'Thank you, my Prince,' she teased back gently.

James bid goodnight to his friends, with a whispered promise to meet up with them for one last stag night before he became a married man. Sirius' emphasis on the word "stag" made any of her worries regarding provocative women being involved in this last adventure vanish. It seemed as though Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs were going on a little romp in the woods afterwards.

They took the scenic route back to Lily's chamber, a room she had called her own for a year now, despite her months at Hogwarts as a seventh year student. Lily's handmaiden Helena and two of James' guards followed after them a few steps behind.

'Lily,' James said suddenly, as they were crossing the arched corridor towards her room, the night breeze ruffling their hair and clothes gently. 'May I ask you something?'

She nodded, 'Of course.'

'You seem…Preoccupied tonight,' he said hesitatingly. 'I hope it isn't because you have any sort of doubts for tomorrow.'

Lily stopped walking altogether, turning to face James. His eyes were sadder than his voice had been, and his lips pulled into a tight, uncomfortable frown. He was so clearly worried, so anxious, that the day he had been dreaming of would never come.

Lily reached out and took his hands in hers, squeezing them comfortingly. 'Oh, no, James,' she murmured, barely noticing that her maid and the guards had stopped walking as well, stopping a few feet away from them to give them some privacy. 'Never think that…I could never doubt my destiny to be your wife.'

The tightness around his eyes and his mouth eased up and a bright smile broke out upon his lips. He took a discrete look back at the three people behind them before whispering quietly, 'If it weren't for the fact that we are not alone, I'd give you a kiss to show how happy I am to hear you say that.'

Lily blushed slightly.

It wasn't proper, of course, for a lady to act in such a manner, especially when she wasn't yet handfasted, and especially when her beloved was a Prince. To show affection, even after their wedding, would have to be discrete and subtle when around the public.

James had kissed her plenty of times while they were at Hogwarts, but they were careful never to do it in front of their peers. James hadn't minded showing her blatant affection in front of his friends – the self-named Marauders – but she had. They had only kissed in empty hallways and dark alcoves at the school, or in secluded spots in Hogsmeade.

He was good to show his affection in other ways – little meaningful gifts he'd give her for no reason, walking her to class back and forth, teasing her gently with love in his eyes and smiles…Once, when Hogsmeade had been under attack by Death Eaters and they had both been unlucky enough to be there, he had even jumped in front of a curse sent by Rowle at her.

She knew that part of the reason they couldn't be so openly intimate with one another was because of tradition and culture – it simply wasn't done by the nobles of Albion, let alone the royal family.

Another reason was because James hadn't been so careful in his adolescence. Before he had courted her, she knew that he'd had several dalliances with other girls – other women, even. He had been a rogue, along with Sirius. James had gotten to know many of the girls from school, even a few of the ladies from lesser known noble families who didn't have so much responsibilities riding on their shoulders.

It was different, of course, for a man rather than a woman. It was unjust and sexist but it was the way it was. A man could always claim that he'd never been with another woman before whilst a woman would have proof that she had.

James hadn't been so discrete. Everyone at school had known his reputation. He wasn't quite as bad as Sirius, who could have had several women in his bed all at once if rumours were to be believed, but he was still quite promiscuous. It was overlooked and even expected, since he was of royal blood, that he would have people, women, falling at his feet everywhere he went.

When James had started courting Lily, her parents had been ecstatic – but they had also warned her to be cautious. They didn't want any rumours to fly about regarding the chastity of their courtship. If they weren't compatible and the courtship ended, they didn't want Lily's prospects to lessen due to nasty gossip. If they were compatible and a handfasting was arranged, they didn't wish for the reason to be distorted.

'James!' she chided. 'Do try not to scandalize us all.'

He grinned at her roguishly before adopting a more serious expression. 'If it isn't doubt…' he trailed off worriedly.

Lily shrugged, feeling a little embarrassed for the way she was feeling. 'I'm simply nervous, that's all,' she admitted. 'I have never been a wife, let alone a Princess. I don't want to let anyone down – not my parents, not the people of Albion, not the King…'

She trailed off, looking up into his beautiful hazel eyes. 'Most of all, not you,' she whispered, reaching up to cup his cheek.

His eyes fluttered at her touch and his free hand came up to grasp hers. 'Lily, my love,' he leaned his forehead against hers. 'You could never let me down. I have never been a husband before, either. I don't know how married life will be, or how to navigate it. But I do know that with you by my side, all the struggles and obstacles we'll face will be worth it.'

A large smile broke upon her lips, unbidden. 'You're a sweet talker,' she chided playfully.

'It's part of my charm,' he agreed with a soft smile to match hers.

When the urge to kiss her again grew too much, James pulled away. He brushed his lips lightly on her forehead and threw a discrete look over his shoulder at Lily's maid and his guards. They were still standing a few feet away, of course, waiting for the two of them.

James took a small step back from Lily, just to make their stance less intimate than before. 'I suppose it's time for us to head back to our chambers,' he exhaled.

Lily nodded and took his arm once more, 'Yes, I suppose it is.'

The remainder of the walk back to Lily's room was quiet. James' guards kept a distance to give James and Lily some privacy to say goodnight while Lily's maid Helena went ahead into the room to prepare a bath, put out a nightgown and turn down the bed for Lily.

Lily turned her back to her door and looked up shyly at James. 'Only a few short hours and we will be husband and wife,' she murmured.

James gazed at her so lovingly that she wondered if he'd always loved her like that, even when he was too immature to really grasp the meaning of that love.

'I can't wait,' he admitted truthfully. He took her right hand and brought it up to his lips, pressing a reverent kiss on the back of her hand. 'I will see you tomorrow, my love.'

She beamed at him blushingly. 'I'll be the one in blue,' she teased.

James stood outside her door for a few long moments after she had slipped inside her room. His heart was beating erratically at the thought that, from tomorrow night onwards, he would spend the rest of his life going to bed with her and waking up in the morning with her, their lives intertwined in the best possible way.

He left his guards standing watch outside his locked chamber door.

Without even a glance in the direction of his bed, James made his way across the large room, opened the blue frosted, painted windows and swung his body out. He climbed the trellis ladder outside his window all the way down to the private garden below. He followed the cobbled path towards the cluster of trees, growing thicker and thicker with each step he took until he was deep within the woods surrounding the castle.

James walked the familiar path towards the bubbling stream not too far away from the palace, but far enough away that no humans – no guards, or knights or servants or foolish lovers looking for some privacy – would wander by.

James had had a cottage built on the property a few years back, for Remus' use. Remus had claimed it unnecessary, and had been quite embarrassed by James spending his money on him. But Remus had only one parent left in the world by the time he left Hogwarts, a father who did his best to help him once every month. When his mother Hope had died in Remus' fourth year, he no longer had her assistance during the summers and though his father Lyall tried his best, he wasn't as prepared for the monthly transformations as he was with his late wife by his side. After his mother's death, Remus had chosen not to return home during the summers so he wouldn't burden his father with his transformations any longer. The full moons during the school year were taken care of by the Marauders but he would be all alone during the full moons in the summer.

James had wanted him to be with friends, so the cottage had been built, in full consideration of Remus' needs – a basement made out of iron for his painful transformations, a door only one of the other Marauders could open that led to the woods, a comfortable living space for humans upstairs for Remus to use as he's recovering, warm blankets and a wardrobe filled with clothes he could change into the next morning, a kitchen stocked with food and a medicine cabinet stocked with bandages, salves and potions to ease his pain.

James had even assigned a house elf to take care of Remus' every need, and rented the cottage to his dear friend for a very low price. Though Remus had been ashamed at what he'd considered a hand-out, James had insisted persistently until Remus had agreed.

James' father had been quite proud of him for wanting to help a fellow man, especially one who needed all the understanding and acceptance the world could offer.

By the summer after fifth year, the Marauders had used the cottage as their own personal getaway, trying their best to turn the evening before the full moon was to rise as a morbid sort of party with rich food and Firewhisky.

It wasn't a full moon tonight – the next full moon was set to be two weeks away; another reason why Lily and James had thought it was the perfect date to get married. They wanted Remus to be able to celebrate this joyous occasion with the rest of them – but James could hear the familiar sounds of his friends' laughter the closer he stepped to the cottage.

The cottage was filled with warmth, though he couldn't tell if it was from the crackling fireplace making the whole place glow orange or from his friends' presence. At the sound of his entrance, Sirius turned around, stumbling slightly. James rolled his eyes. His best man was already three sheets to the wind, no doubt.

'Ah, the groom has arrived!' Sirius grinned wolfishly. 'Now the party can _really_ begin!' he swayed forward, one hand gripping the neck of a bottle of Firewhisky while his other arm slung around James' shoulders. He tugged James forward, deeper into the room. 'Come on, James! Let's celebrate your last night as a free man.'

* * *

><p>Another filler chapter. However, the next chapter will be James and Lily's wedding. Then we move on to the honeymoon and then straight to the war raging against Voldemort.<p>

Thanks for reading.

Lorelai.


	4. Chapter 3

**Harry Potter and the Incubus Inheritance: Harry Potter and the First Downfall**

**Chapter 3 – Binding the Cord**

**Summary**: James and Lily's handfasting ceremony is finally here.

**A/N:** James and Lily finally walk down the aisle, surrounded by family and friends…And thousands of Albion's citizens.

A handfasting is a pagan wedding ritual that's been around since the middle ages. Although some people still do it now, they don't traditionally follow the 'a year and a day' rule. Basically, when a couple is at first handfasted, they agree to be handfasted for a year and a day. Then, once that time has passed, they will host another handfasting ceremony, this time making it permanent. Some choose not to, making their wedding null and void.

I tried to include the traditions from the olden days but most of what I found are regarding modern handfasting ceremonies so it won't be exact. I'm sorry.

Also, you will be meeting lots of James and Lily's family, immediate and extended. You've already had glimpses of Lily's non-canon family – her father (Arwyn Evans, the Marquess of Killian), her mother (Aoife Evans, the Marchioness of Killian), her step-mothers Cara Vance-Evans and Julia Longbottom-Evans and her half-sister Emmeline Vance-Evans. You've also met James' father, the King of Albion, as well as James' uncle and aunt-in-law, Prince William and the Lady Vivian.

Arwyn and Aoife aren't canon but _aren't_ non-canon either. We just never knew anything about Lily's parents, including their names. That they're pureblood witch and wizard is fiction since they're muggles in canon. Cara and Julia are non-canon but Emmeline is the same Emmeline Vance from canon. We didn't get to see or hear much of her in the books except that she was in the Order and that she was killed in the Second War. I don't think we knew her exact age so I'm making her around Lily's age.

Now, you'll meet others such as James' uncle (non-canon), families that are related to the Potters and Evans (such as the Blacks, the Longbottoms, etc.), get surprised by a few characters showing up and even meet a few canon-but-not-mentioned-beyond-a-vague-name characters I've loved incorporating into the story (just like Emmeline, though none of them will have big roles).

This is, after all, a royal wedding. Who wouldn't want to attend?

**Timeline**: June 1978.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter or Charmed. Those rights belong to JK Rowling and Constance M. Burge. I am merely playing with JK's characters and Burge's ideas for supernatural powers. I mean no copyright infringement.

* * *

><p>Long before any of the royals or nobles sleeping soundly within the protected walls of Seacliff Castle had woken up, the servants were bustling around preparing for one of the biggest and most lavish days in recent Albion history.<p>

They woke hours before first light, making sure the castle was spic and span, the courtyard ready for the arrival of several hundred guests from around the world, the great hall ready for the reception to take place after the ceremony…The kitchens were hot and sweaty with the preparation of the feast to be held later on that day, chefs yelling at the house elves to do this and that better and faster. The main floor of the palace was decked in red, gold, white and blue in celebration of the upcoming handfasting. The coats of armour for Houses Potter and Evans were displayed proudly on banners placed strategically all over.

Finally, as the sun began to rise over the horizon, James was awoken by his manservant, Hilbert.

'Sire, it's time to wake,' Hilbert called gently as he pulled back the curtains to let in the first rays of sunlight, laid out the breakfast spread he'd gotten from the kitchen and straightened up the mess James had made just a few short hours ago as he'd climbed back in through the window, thoroughly drunk.

James groaned into his pillow, pulling it over his head to shield his eyes. Even the soft morning sun hurt his head. He never should've allowed himself to partake in Sirius' ridiculous drinking games. He'd be feeling all sorts of awful – and on his own wedding day, no less.

Hilbert, however, was used to the repercussions of James' night outs with his friends. Swiping a bottle of Wideye potion from the tray he'd brought up, he uncorked it and held it up for the prince. 'A cure for your ills, my prince,' he offered.

James cracked one bleary eye. He saw the familiar clear blue-green potion and groaned an unintelligible word of gratitude. He downed it in one shot, grimacing at the horrid potent taste and shivering madly for a few seconds as the potion took effect, giving him the feeling of a bucket of ice cold water being poured over his head.

A few seconds passed and James noticeably brightened up, feeling as wide awake as if he'd gotten nine hours of sleep instead of a measly two. His head was clearer, his limbs weren't as lead-heavy and his eyelids didn't feel as though they were being pulled down by weights.

Magic truly was amazing.

'Thank you, Hilbert,' he threw his quilt off of his body.

James stretched his arms over his head, smiling slightly as he looked out the window at the steadily rising sun. The day seemed better than all the other good days he'd ever had before in his life. The air seemed fresher. The birds' chirping sounded like a real melody. A sense of peace and happiness had settled over his entire body, as though nothing awful could ever touch him again.

It took him a few moments to realize why. And, when it did, it struck him dumb and wiped the silly smile off his face.

'I'm getting married today!'

Lily had an easier time waking up on the morning of her wedding than the future King of Albion. Then again, she hadn't gone off drinking Firewhisky into the early hours of the morning like James had.

She had spent a quiet but lovely evening with her mother, Emmeline and Alice Longbottom. They had shown up at her chambers after her bath and had sat around with her in her sitting room. They'd given her a gift each for her upcoming handfasting, wishing her all the best for her future as the next Princess of Albion. She had gone to bed long before the midnight hour and had drifted off to sleep dreaming good thoughts of her future.

Her maid Helena had woken her up just a little while after first light. The handfasting ceremony was at midday and as the future bride, she wouldn't be greeting the guests like James was supposed to do. No one but her maid, her bridesmaids, her mother and the house elves helping to dress her would see her before her walk down the aisle.

She had been served a light breakfast of fruits and cheese, and had immediately been shuffled off to the bathroom attached to her chambers for a bath. According to Helena, it would take hours to dress Lily appropriately for the wedding.

She tried not to cringe at the thought, or take too much offense.

Helena had made Lily scrub from head to foot, the bath taking much longer than usual. By the time Lily got out of the water, her normally pale skin had turned a light pink colour and there was not a single trace of hair anywhere on her body except for her head. Helena had used a drying spell on Lily before helping her don a warm robe.

Lily's mother Aoife had shown up with her maid Trudy whilst Helena had been working on twisting and curling Lily's hair, making it gloss and bounce.

'Oh, my darling,' Aoife had taken one look at Lily and her eyes had welled up with tears. 'You look absolutely glowing.'

'Yes, that was because I spent nearly an hour getting scrubbed clean,' Lily said dryly. Helena blushed but made no comment, as was appropriate for a maid in the presence of her mistress and the Lady of the House she served.

'Nonsense,' Aoife scoffed. 'It is the day you are to be handfasted, my dear. It is only expected that you should be lit up with happiness.'

Lily couldn't help the uncontrollable smile that spread from one ear to another.

'And to think, just three years ago, you would've scolded me silly for even suggesting a possible marriage between Houses Potter and Evans,' Aoife teased.

Lily scowled. 'Mother!'

Aoife laughed. 'Well, I only wanted to drop in and see how you were,' she brushed a gentle hand over Lily's cheek. 'I will have to greet the guests arriving for the day with your father soon.'

Since Seacliff Castle was made difficult to enter – another form of protection – the King had had to send out hundreds of their winged Abraxan horses, decked out with carriages, for the guests to be taken from the sea port they would arrive at straight to the castle, dodging the press and thousands of fans who weren't invited to the handfasting. The horses had been hard at work since seven that morning, waiting for the ships carrying the invited wedding attendees to arrive from the wizarding port in England, and shuffling guests back and forth.

Aoife stepped forward, causing Helena to cease her work on Lily's hair, and gently embraced her daughter. 'You've grown up so very beautifully, my lovely Lily,' Aoife whispered in her ear. 'I want you to know that your father and I are both very proud of you.'

Lily felt tears stinging the back of her eyes. She hugged her mother a little harder and breathed in the familiar comforting scent that always managed to propel her back towards childhood. 'Thank you, mother,' she murmured.

Aoife released her after one final squeeze and pressed a kiss to Lily's forehead before straightening up. 'Well, I shan't keep you much longer,' she smiled at Lily. 'It's time for me to head down. I'll see you at midday, love.'

Lily smiled at her mother as she left the room, lavish dress and cloak swishing at her feet.

At quarter before eleven, Lily's room was invaded by her bridesmaids, her half-sister Emmeline, Alice Longbottom and Dorcas Meadows. They were all already dressed up in their pretty purple bridesmaid dresses, their hair done up and their bouquets sitting daintily at one side. They crowded over Lily, gushing and tearing up, hugging her, wishing her luck and teasing her on her wedding night.

Lily blushed at a particularly crude comment from Emmeline. 'Good lord, Emmeline!' Lily said, aghast. 'I think you've rather spent far too much time with Sirius.'

Emmeline scowled slightly at the mention of her on-again-off-again suitor. 'Let's not mention him at the moment,' she said, looking slightly green. 'I heard he was off having the time of his life last night with that cow, Penelope Pierce.'

'Emmeline!' Dorcas giggled. 'That's awful. How was she to know that you still have a possessive streak even when you and Sirius aren't together?'

'I do _not_ have a possessive streak,' Emmeline sniped. 'I simply don't think it's all that right for her to jump into his bed so soon. She's only just met him.'

'Well, I hope you aren't planning on creating a scene,' Alice warned her. 'Let's not forget that this is Lily's day.'

'Yes, and accusing the American Wizarding President of having a slut of a daughter isn't a great way to kick off the celebrations,' Dorcas added.

Emmeline rolled her eyes. 'I'm well aware, thank you,' she said dryly.

Finally, at half past eleven, whilst the King, the Crown Prince, the wedding party, most of the royal household and the thousands of guests had all departed by winged horse-drawn carriages for the palace church, Lily stepped into her wedding gown, created just for her.

It was spun out of the softest, most lavish acromantula silk, with tiny little diamonds hand-sewn into an intricate swirling pattern all over the dress, the train and the flowing veil adding a flare of sparkling white to the blue. Her heeled shoes, made of soft velvet and leather, were covered in the same diamonds with a touch of blue sapphires to complement the dress.

A house elf, one that Lily didn't recognize but who clearly worked in the royal palace judging from the crest on the uniform she wore, knocked on Lily's door and popped in when allowed entry.

'It's time, my lady,' the elf bowed low. 'The ceremony is ready to begin. Lady Lily is required downstairs for the ride down to the church.'

'Thank you,' Lily said politely.

The elf bowed once more before leaving.

Lily stood frozen in place, her heart hammering away in her chest and her hands shaking.

'Lily?' Emmeline, noticing Lily's face suddenly going pale, rushed to her side. 'Oh, my dear…You aren't suddenly getting cold feet, are you? Lily, this is the day you've been waiting for!'

Lily nodded her head, her throat too tight to speak.

She wanted to tell Emmeline that she knew it was the day she'd been waiting for. In fact, ever since James had proposed and she had accepted, she had dreamed about this very day every single day, counting down the days to the real thing. However, having something she coveted so dearly coming true shook her to the core, despite all the preparation she'd gone through beforehand.

Thankfully Alice, who hadn't yet forgotten what it felt like to be nearly wedded, having had her handfasting ceremony mere months ago, clasped Lily's hands in hers.

'Oh,' she moaned sympathetically. 'That's exactly the reason she's so shook up, Em. Listen to me, Lily…It's going to be alright. It's nerve-wracking right this second but once you're walking down the aisle and you see _him_…You'll be biting your cheek to stop from sprinting the rest of the way.'

An almost hysterical bubble of laughter burst out of Lily's mouth. She took the delicately arranged bouquet of flowers Helena gave her, took a steadying breath and nodded her head in resolve.

Helena opened the door and all five of them filtered out, Lily at the helm. They made their way down the impressive marble spiral stairs to the main floor of the palace.

As usual, there were guards stationed everywhere for protection, but the eerie stillness made Lily's nerves come back. So did the way the guards bow to her, a courtesy on her wedding day. No one else was around, however. Not the servants, bustling about their usual everyday chores. Not the noblemen who came by for business or pleasure. Not the knights who were given free rein to roam the halls of the palace they protected with their lives. Not even the wedding planners who had crowded the castle with tulle and flowers and seating charts for weeks beforehand.

There was only one person she knew waiting for her at the bottom of the spiral stairs.

'Lily,' he breathed, taking in the sight of her in her beautiful dress, her vivid red hair curled and pinned up, her delicate hands wrapped around her white and blue bouquet. 'You look…like a vision.'

Lily's eyes welled up as she saw the love in her father's eyes. 'Papa,' she murmured affectionately, glowing warm when he took her in his arms and hugged her tightly.

Her sister, bridesmaids and handmaiden remained politely quiet, discretely giving father and daughter some time alone before she became a married woman.

Arwyn pulled away first, his eyes suspiciously wet as he kissed the top of her head. 'Well, we best be off,' he sighed a shaky breath. 'We wouldn't want the groom to grow worried if his bride is late down the aisle.'

Lily giggled slightly, feeling a giddy sort of rush, taking her father's proffered arm.

Lily stepped outside the front entrance of the palace and carefully walked down the stone steps leading to the courtyard, Emmeline holding up her train so it wouldn't be accidentally stepped on.

The Abraxan horse waiting for her was huge, with a beautiful snowy white body and an almost luminescent mane. The feathers of its wings looked shimmery and downy, and it was decked in gold and red. The carriage attached to the horse was intricately crafted, with golden wheels and a black body with red and gold accents. There was no driver; the Abraxan would know exactly where to go.

'Go ahead, Lily,' Emmeline urged her on towards the carriage. 'We'll be right behind you.'

It was then that Lily noticed a second horse and carriage, both smaller and less elaborately dressed up, waiting behind the bridal carriage.

Lily took a deep breath, hugged her sister gently and was off towards the bridal carriage. She was nothing but a bundle of nerves at this point but she supposed she only had two options – stand there, frozen in panic, or get moving and see where the day leads. It couldn't possibly be as scary as she imagined it to be.

Arwyn reached out and took Lily's hand, squeezing it in comfort before placing it on his arm. She snuck a look at him and the soft smile he offered her was enough to give her the courage she needed. With another deep breath, she stepped into the carriage.

Lily was silent as the horse started moving, Arwyn sitting on her right. She rubbed the soft sleeve of her father's elegant silk robes, made especially for this momentous occasion.

The entire city of Godric, from the palace gates all the way to the church was decorated for the special event. Red and gold banners proudly displaying the royal crest were hung up everywhere. There were confetti thrown on the floors and flowers pinned to every door and vendor stall.

Though the streets of the city were completely empty of people, asides from the guards ordered to roam about and defend against any potential threats, there was a large crowd just outside the palace gates. They were held back by a force field, erected and held in place by the King himself early last evening. They cheered and waved, screaming and calling out her name, as the carriage passed by, enthusiastic at the prospect of a new member of the royal family.

She knew that once the carriage was out of sight, the crowd outside the palace would leave and join the others outside the church, waiting for her to arrive.

Her heart started pounding faster and faster when the royal church came into view, its intimidating gothic stone structure looming over the carriage, casting a shadow on her.

As she had predicted, the crowd cheering and screaming outside the church gates were triple the size of the one outside the palace earlier. They called out for her exuberantly at the sight of the bridal carriage and, doing her more superficial duties as James' future bride, she held up her hand and waved, just as she'd been taught in the etiquette lessons preceding her wedding day. They cheered louder.

When the horse came to an abrupt halt, Lily's heart almost burst out of her chest in anxiety.

Arwyn laughed softly next to her, startling her. He patted her hand gently and brought it to his lips for a kiss. 'Ready, princess?' he asked her affectionately.

Lily nodded, a wry thought crossing her mind that in just an hour's time, she would be a _real_ princess, not just in her father's eyes. A moment of panic overcame her once again at the thought of the responsibilities that title would entail, but the image of James' beaming face, dressed in his wedding robes, waiting for her at the altar, popped into her mind. A strange sort of excited resolve came over her.

'Yes, I am,' she answered with a twinkling smile.

Arwyn nodded and, when the footman waiting for their carriage outside the church opened the carriage door, he stepped out, holding out his hand to assist her so she wouldn't trip all over her long dress.

Lily hardly noticed when Emmeline, Alice and Dorcas stepped out of the bridesmaid carriage and joined her and Arwyn, nor when Helena stepped forward from the staff carriage behind them. She most definitely didn't notice the crowd growing even wilder at the first sight of her, though her father did remind her to wave at them as a general greeting.

The large church doors were opened, a red carpet laid out to welcome them and guards stationed on each side to ensure their safety. Lily and Arwyn passed through the doors arm in arm, her bridesmaids behind her and Helena behind them. Once they were inside, the guards shut the doors behind them, two of them standing guard outside and two standing guard inside. The deafening sound of the crowd outside was muffled extensively when the doors were swung shut.

The group of six stopped at the huge ceiling-to-floor solid oak door leading to the great hall. It was shut to shield Lily from the eyes of the public – and the groom – until her fateful walk down the aisle. She knew everyone inside was already at their places, awaiting the arrival of the bride eagerly.

'Last chance, Lily,' Emmeline mock whispered behind her.

Arwyn shot a look at his daughter behind him. 'Emmeline,' he scolded.

Far from contrite, Emmeline simply shrugged with an impish smile almost identical to Lily's.

Lily simply laughed. 'Thank you, Em, but…my husband is waiting for me,' she shot a smile at her sister and patted her father's hand.

The flowing procession music began just as the doors to the great hall swung open, her arrival and readiness to walk through the door sensed by magic.

The room was decorated in white – pure, blinding white – rather than the ostentatious red and gold everywhere else. It was almost like stepping into a winter wonderland in the midst of summer. Every head turned in her direction the moment they heard the music, and Lily nervously scanned the crowd sitting on the white painted oak chairs.

Arwyn's arm, a comforting presence, slid arms hers and Lily inhaled deeply. She turned her head in his direction, giving him a small smile, and adjusted her grip properly.

'Come on, Lily love,' he whispered to her, unheard by anyone else. 'Your future is waiting.'

At those words, Lily's gaze snapped to the very front of the church. There, waiting at the altar, was James. The sight of him took her breath away. He was so very dashing, dressed in his dress robes: a perfectly tailored pair of dark trousers and a red silk shirt she knew had been made especially for today. A red, white and gold cloak bearing the royal crest and his crown completed the look.

'Yes, he is,' she murmured, almost to herself.

She took the first step.

Just like her father had said, everyone else in the church had faded from her mind. All she saw was James, standing there with a beaming smile on his face, suspiciously bright eyes tracking her every step towards him. Before she knew it, they had already reached the altar.

Arwyn patted her hand, unwound it from his arm and brought it to his lips to kiss her knuckles before he gave her away to James.

James' hand slipped over hers and Lily noticed dimly that it was shaking slightly. The fact that he was as nervous as she was made her feel slightly better.

Arwyn took his seat in the front row, next to Aoife. Lily's bridesmaids walked up next and Lily handed over her bouquet to Emmeline before she could move to take her place.

Lily and James held hands as they faced each other, giddy smiles stretching their faces before they turned to face the High Priest of the royal church.

'Lords and Ladies, women and gentlemen,' the High Priest began. 'We are gathered here today to witness the holy union between James, Crown Prince of Albion, and Lily, daughter of the Marquess of Killian.'

Lily's heart thrummed hard against her chest. James' fingers tightened around hers and she couldn't help the shaky smile on her lips.

'The first handfasting, which will bind James and Lily for a year and a day, is a sacred ritual, one that our ancestors have used since magic roamed freely, and one that our descendants will continue to use until the end of days.'

A peek from behind the lacy veil at her future husband made her blush. His attention was riveted on only her.

'Repeat after me,' the High Priest instructed. 'I , James Charlus Potter…'

'I, James Charlus Potter…'

'I, Lily Aoife Evans…'

'I, Lily Aoife Evans…'

A thick pleated cord of rope startled Lily. She looked down on hers and James' entwined hands to find that the High Priest was waving his wand, the rope tying itself loosely around the couple's hands in a binding ritual.

'And so, with this cord, I do bind James and Lily in holy matrimony for a year and a day, when they will make the sacred vows to be bonded in holy union for as long as they both shall live,' the High Priest continued. 'With magic, the universe and the Gods as my witness, so mote it be.'

'So mote it be,' James and Lily echoed.

'So mote it be,' the congregation resounded.

The High Priest smiled at them both. 'You may now kiss your bride,' he told James.

James broke into a wide smile. Untangling his hands from Lily, the cord binding their hands falling away and coiling itself neatly on the altar, he reached up and lifted back her veil. Bringing her close, he clasped his arms around her and brought his lips to her in a soft, passionate kiss.

The High Priest waited until the kiss and the applause died down before he stepped forward, this time carrying a wooden box intricately carved with symbols Lily knew to be protection runes and crests belonging to the royal family. He placed the box on the altar and opened it, revealing a beautiful gold crown, complete with shining drops of emeralds, rubies and diamonds.

He lifted the crown from the box and moved towards the newly wedded pair. 'By the power vested in me, I now pronounce thee, Lily Potter,' he placed the crown gently but firmly on her head, 'Princess of Albion.'

The congregation went wild once more and the High Priest smiled as he announced to the crowd, 'It is my greatest honour to announce to you James, the Crown Prince, and Lily, the Princess of Albion.'

The applause started up again, and so did the procession music. Emmeline appeared next to Lily, handing her back her bridal bouquet. Hands clasped together, James and Lily walked back down the aisle towards the door. Their family and friends stood, clapping as they made their exit. They were followed by Lily's bridesmaids, James' ushers and their immediate family.

The crowds of spectators outside the church grew wilder than they had before when they saw the newly wedded royal couple. Lily giggled alongside James as they stopped for a quick moment to wave to the public.

It was still a little overwhelming for Lily. She could only thank the heavens that she'd had practice with overzealous fans and press from being part of a noble family. It was nothing compared to being part of a royal family but at least she wasn't completely unprepared. She could only imagine the shock this must all be had she been from a peasant family – or even more so had she been a muggleborn.

The door to their newlywed carriage swung open, a footman waiting patiently and quietly at the side.

James held her hand and helped her up into the carriage before stepping in himself. No one else, not even their personal servants, were allowed to ride with them in the newlywed carriage. The door swung shut and as the winged horses started to move, James and Lily waved out their windows to the admiring crowd once more.

Once they were high up in the air, en route back to the palace where the reception will be held, James turned to his new bride. Their hands were still joined together. She was already looking at him, an exultant grin on her pretty lips and a sparkle in her soft eyes.

'Ah, can you believe it, Lily flower?' he asked her, bringing her hand up to his lips for a kiss. 'You are now my wife.'

'And you are now my husband,' she teased back. 'Surely you could afford to give me a _proper_ kiss now.'

A sly smile formed across his lips as he leaned in and stole an entirely improper, hungry kiss from her. When he'd finally pulled away, Seacliff Castle was just coming into view and they were both heaving, mouths parted to suck in as much air as they could.

'How was that for a proper kiss?' James asked cheekily once he had regained his breath and his heart beat had slowed down somewhat.

Lily, blushing an almost bright red colour, gave him a smile that was almost bashful. 'It was entirely improper,' she said, and for a moment James thought that she might chide him. The streets were, after all, lined with crowds – people with binoculars and presses with cameras. They could have gotten a look at the two of them necking around like two lustful teenagers.

However, she surprised him by leaning in towards him and pressing another kiss to his lips. It was just as passionate as their kiss just moments ago, though it ended a lot quicker since they were nearing the palace. Her green eyes were dark when they pulled apart.

Unable to help himself, James leaned in and whispered in her ear, 'I can't wait for the reception to be over so our wedding night can begin.'

Her entire face turned an almost purple colour. She slapped him on the arm and chided, 'James! You rogue!'

There was no heat to her scolding, however, and she was still blushing and smiling coyly as she turned her head away to look out the window.

The Abraxan they were on swooped down just as they reached the palace gates. Lily could feel her heartbeat thudding faster and faster once more, and this time, it had nothing to do with lust.

The heavy wrought iron palace gates swung open and the Abraxan trotted forward, pulling the carriage with ease with it. It moved gracefully through the complex, perfectly scenic, winding pathway leading to the palace. It hit her hard that _this_ was now her home.

She was now a Princess, a royal. The ceremonial coronation, which would be conducted by the King himself, would take place a year and a day from now, when she and James would renew their vows and cement their marriage forever. But that would only be for ceremony's sake. She was already crowned Princess. She had already been given the responsibilities of a royal and a wife.

It wasn't like it hadn't been brought up before – she had seen her family's house elves packing up her clothes, her books and the rest of her possessions and it had all been moved to the new bedroom in the palace she would be sharing with James as a wedded couple, in the east wing where they would live and raise their future family. She hadn't, of course, seen the new room but she knew it would hold no sign of childhood and every sign of their shared adulthood.

But somehow, none of the preparations or the talks or the wedding fare that had begun weeks ago when James had proposed had given her a full understanding to what it would be like in this particular moment.

A jolt of panic rushed through her at the thought of proving herself a failure in these regards.

However, an image of James standing at the altar, love and utter faith in his eyes, came unbidden to the forefront of her mind. Holding on to that image, Lily took several deep breaths and calmed her racing heart. She had always excelled at everything she gave her heart and soul to. This would be no different.

She was startled out of her thoughts when the carriage came to a stop and the door was opened by a palace footman. She took a shy glance at James who seemed to sense the reason for her anxiety.

'You have nothing to fear,' he assured her. 'You are my light, my life. We are going to have a brilliant life together.'

Invigorated, Lily nodded, squeezed his hand one last time before letting the footman help her out of the carriage. The crowd outside the gates were still celebrating the royal union, and they could hear their roars and cheers and merriment from outside the gates even miles away at the palace entrance.

A welcome party was waiting for James and Lily when they arrived – every member of the royal family, immediate and extended, their wedding party, their closest friends and allies…Lily blushed when she saw Minerva McGonagall standing a few people down on Charlus Potter's right. It was so strange knowing that she and James were related, however distantly, and now so were they. Of course, coming from a pureblood family, Lily was not a stranger to distant relatives everywhere she turned. Still, none of them had been her teacher.

Charlus, Arwyn and Aoife greeted the newlyweds joyously, with Charlus proclaiming loudly to the court, 'My son, Prince James, and his new bride…' he took Lily's hand and presented her to the gathered. 'Our princess, Lily.'

Their families and friends clapped and cheered and congratulated the couple and, eventually, when the excitement had died down a little, the party moved into the palace, with Charlus leading the helm, and the newly wedded couple in tow.

All of the palace staff, including the guards, were waiting in a welcome line for them in the foyer just as they entered. They bowed and curtsied in respect as the royal party moved past.

Lily and James were taken to separate, adjoining chambers where they freshened up and had a refreshing cold glass of pumpkin juice to refuel their energy as they waited for the remainder of their guests to arrive and for everyone to get situated for the wedding feast and reception. King Charlus and the others handled the responsibility of greeting the guests when they arrived back at the palace.

The great hall where the feast was held was already in full swing when Lily and James finally entered, the rest of their guests seated at their seats, music playing and servers circulating the room with drinks on their trays. Everyone stood and clapped when James and Lily entered.

The newly wedded couple went to the very front of the room where a large long rectangular table was set up on a dais. At the very centre of the table, Charlus had taken his place on his throne. James sat to his right, and Lily next to him.

Before the feast was to start, Charlus stood and addressed the court.

'Today, I am ecstatic to welcome a new member of my family, Lily,' he beamed in James and Lily's direction. 'I never thought the day would come when my son would find the sort of happiness that I once shared with his mother. He always seemed so restless, always eager to fight battles rather than start a family. But now…Now I am pleased to say that I know James will experience all the things a man should experience – the pleasure of being a husband, the joy of being a father…These are the things a father cannot explain to a son, until he goes through it himself. Let us all raise our goblets…'

Charlus lifted his bejewelled golden goblet, and the rest of the room followed suit.

'To James and Lily. Long may they reign.'

The wedding feast carried on gaily with an enormous banquet prepared by the palace's kitchen staff. There was roast duck, roast geese, lamb chops, smoked salmon, stuffed swans, pheasants, pottages, turkey legs, ragouts, a large selection of cheese, freshly baked bread and warm butter. Apples, wild fruit, dates, sugared almonds and pistachio nuts cleared their palettes. Custards, tarts, cherry hearts, puddings, fresh fruits and, the Prince's favourite, treacle tarts sweetened the teeth. Pumpkin juice, spicy mulled wine, butterbeer and Firewhisky flowed freely, along with some of the more exotic drinks and mixes.

For their many foreign guests, the palace chef had also made a variety of specialty dishes from around the world. Servers went around the great hall, offering up whatever was on their carts and trays. Goblets were magically refilled every time it was empty.

The chatter and laughter and merriment in the great hall were nothing short of booming.

At the centre of the royal table, James and Lily wore large smiles and flushed faces as they revelled in newlywed glory. It was difficult for them not to sneak looks at each other even as they carried on with conversations with members of their family and their closest friends.

'I'm so happy for the two of you,' Emmeline said as she leaned forward and smiled at James and Lily.

'Yes, the ceremony was very beautiful,' Vivian agreed. 'Your dress is gorgeous, Lily.'

'I thought your vows were the best part,' Alice piped up. Her round face was alight with a bright smile. 'Congratulations, Your Highness,' she addressed both Lily and James.

Lily blushed, squeezing James' hand under the table. She hadn't let go of it since their handfasting, it seemed, and she wasn't able to stop smiling.

Finally, once the last dollop of pudding had been licked clean and the last plate had been cleared, the King stood up and announced that they would be moving to the ballroom for the reception.

The ballroom had completely transformed since the last time Lily had stepped foot in it. Crystal chandeliers gleamed as they hung from the ceiling, the drapes were a rich blue and white, and stunning red roses were everywhere, a shocking contrast to everything else. There were three long tables situated all along three sides of the room, with chairs for those who needed the rest and cooling refreshments for those who needed to refuel. A large stage was at the very front of the room, with a band already playing some music as they entered.

James grinned as he took in the large dance floor in the middle of the room, with the royal crest printed in red and gold on the wooden floors. The band started playing a very familiar, requested song the moment the newlyweds entered the room.

Turning to Lily, he held out his hand to her and asked, an impish grin on his handsome face, 'May I have the first dance?'

* * *

><p>I didn't put in the vows. Truthfully, I always skip the vows whenever I'm reading a story – fan-fiction or otherwise. I rarely even enjoy watching wedding vow scenes in movies or on the television. It's almost always on the wrong side of corny. I cringe really. I didn't want to make you cringe (any more than you might have in my brief and very vague foray of what a medieval-like handfasting ceremony is like; it probably is as far from accurate as possible, for those of you who know their medieval history and ceremonies, so I'll simply claim artistic liberties).<p>

Also, the Wideye potion is not an invention of mine. For those of you who are as Potter-obsessed as me, you'll recognize it as one of the potions on Pottermore. It is said to be a cure for the Draught of Living Death but could also be used to wake someone from a drugging. I suppose it could work for a hangover cure, but I'm just taking liberties with that.

Thank you so much for reading this chapter, and for those who favorited, alerted and reviewed 'First Downfall'. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Reviews are very much welcomed.

Lorelai.


End file.
